Mrs Collins' Debut
by musicalk
Summary: Mary is determined to catch Mr. Collins with a little help from Mrs. Bennet.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Mary had been awaiting this very moment for weeks, an Italian master had come to Meryton to give a piano performance. The room waited in anticipation as he took a breath and laid his hands tenderly on the keys. Beethoven was one of Mary's favorites, and Master Capelliano had truly become a master at it. Mary sat as far forward on her chair as the old wooden seat would allow as she strained her ears to hear the first few notes of the Sonata. At her side was Mr. Bennet, who had received the honor of escorting Mary to the concert. Mr. Bennet had never developed a love for music, but the thought of being at home on the eve of the arrival of the future master of Longbourn had been enough encouragement for him to voluntarily accompany his daughter.

Mr. Collins, the dreaded cousin, was to inherit everything upon Mr. Bennet's demise. He was talked of with such viciousness and tenacity that none could comprehend his coming to visit. That is with the exception of Mrs. Bennet, who knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be looking for a wife. Fortunate for him, four of her daughters remained unattached. And as much as the thought of hosting the future master of her home sent her into a wave of nervous complaints, Mrs. Bennet was able to set her mind on the idea of having one of her very own daughters become the mistress of her very own household. What a marvelous thought! Even as sinful as Mr. Collins must be for having the audacity to be born, he was certainly on the path to redeeming himself- if he sought out one of her daughters.

With these sentiments swirling in Mrs. Bennet's head, she had the household in quite a fuss. Directions for the staff were barked to the poor servants as to how Mr. Collins' room should be prepared, the dinner that would be served and the scones that would be taken at tea. Jane and Lizzy had recently returned from Netherfield, Jane having been sick due to Mrs. Bennet's match-making strategy of riding in the rain. Jane was slowly recovering from her illness, and Elizabeth was always at her side. Kitty and Lydia were almost never to be found; always dashing around Meryton with some officer or another. This left Mary and Mr. Bennet to endure Mrs. Bennet's nerves. And as the latter had the luxury of his own library, the former received the pleasure of hours of ceaseless worries and nervous complaints. Tonight was the one night that both Father and Daughter were able to escape and hear only music.

As Master Capelliano continued through the Sonata, Mr. Bennet could not help but regret the lack of training that his Mary had received. She could be quite a nuisance with her constant practice, and an embarrassment at assemblies when she would insist on performing her latest works. But Mr. Bennet somehow felt a twinge of guilt that this daughter had not received the instruction she needed. If only she would take pleasure in the novels as Lizzy did, she would be a very happy person. She would never lack for a good read- for Mr. Bennet possessed a bountiful supply of novels in his beloved library. But that was not to be. This girl loved Fourdyce's sermons, and had practically memorized them from cover to cover. Where her interest in sermons came from, Mr Bennet could not imagine.

As the concert ended, Mr. Bennet and Mary were approached by Sir William Lucas, their close family friend and neighbor. "Ah! Mr. Bennet was that not a delightful concert! What an inspiration for your Mary! Did you not enjoy that Mary dear, Master Capelliano is a superb performer is he not?"

"Yes, Sir Lucas but I wonder at his choice in Beethoven's Sonata. It was a rather melancholy work for such an audience. One would imagine Master Capelliano would have chosen Mozart." As much as Mary tried to go on to critique the Master's performance, it was clear that she had not a clue what she was about. The comments on his touch of the keys, and the interpretation fell on deaf ears, for neither Sir Lucas nor her father had any interest in the craft.

"Lady Lucas informed me that you all are expecting the company of a young man for a fortnight. Pray, do enlighten me as to the man's particulars"

Mary instantly chimed in, a bit hurt at being ignored over her opinions of the performance "Mr. Collins is to inherit Longbourn at the time of my father's unfortunate death. He is a dreaded cousin, for he shall turn us out of the house as soon as he pleases! Everything belongs to him-even my piano stool!"

"Such a pity" Sir Lucas shook his head. "But such things are not in our power to prevent my dear. And therefore, I hope that you will look favorably upon the poor lad, for it can not be easy coming into a home with such a preconceived dislike from your hosts"

Mary almost shot back at this, but realized this discussion was one that Lizzy would do a much better job at convincing Sir Lucas of Collins' failings (primarily the very audacity of birth) and that he was not welcome in their home in the least. If it was not for this man, her mother would be much more agreeable. Not nearly as many nervous complaints and outbursts of fear for the future would be endured. As all of these events spun around in Mary's head, Mr. Bennet had taken the liberty of ending the conversation.

"SIr Lucas, I am glad you enjoyed the performance. If you will excuse us, we will bid you good night."

Once Mr. Bennet and Mary were in the carriage, the father observed to his daughter

"Mary, we must brace ourselves. I am afraid your mother will be in a fit of apprehension. I am not at all pleased with this Mr. Collins, he has ruined my peace. I may retreat to my library, but I will still be bombarded by shrieks and wailing from the rest of the home. I'm afraid you have a very silly mother, Mary. And some very silly and exuberant sisters! Of course Lizzy and Jane will make the best of it. Jane will never think any ill of him, and Lizzy will mock him incessantly. And you my dear, I am sure you will have plenty of topics to discuss with Mr. Collins if he is the type to enjoy Fourdyce"

"Every clergyman should encourage Fourdyce Papa. It is simply biblical behavior. He would not be a clergyman if he did not agree with Fourdyce!"

"Very well my dear, if he is as you say I am sure you shall have endless topics to discuss. But I am afraid your sisters, Kitty and Lydia in particular, will never agree with you on them!"

The next morning Mary set out to accomplish her usual morning routine. Scales were executed with extra energy, and Beethoven was practiced with precision due to the inspiring performance of the previous evening. Mary then warmed up her voice and began to practice for whatever occasion might arise, for many would be prompted by the appearance of their new guest. Because of the natural inquisitive nature of the Bennet's neighbors, there would most likely be many dinner parties and Mary was not about to be out played by any other young women in the neighborhood.

At precisely four o'clock in the afternoon Mr. Collins arrived, true to his word. The ladies of Longbourn all anxiously awaited his arrival in the sitting room. There was more than one beating heart when a carriage was heard pull up in front of the house! The ladies quickly made themselves of use, not wanting their guest to suppose that they had been previously engaged with any activity other than those of other accomplished young ladies. The door opened and Mr. Collins was announced.

He had a certain ere that inclined one to believe he thought very well of himself. He was neither handsome nor graceful. He wore his clergical attire, which Mary noticed to be very well maintained. It was obviously made of the best quality fabric available. What a calling, to be in the church. To instruct one's congregation to behave with fear of the Lord, and to concern one's self in the well-being of his parishioners. As these thoughts swept through Mary's mind, she was finally introduced.

"Oh my dear, dear cousins!" Began the stout man "I am so very pleased to see you all! I am very pleased to see the establishment that I will soon inherit to be very well kept. I congratulate you, Mrs. Bennet, for your attention to the home. However, on my way in I have taken note of several changes that would be in your best interest to make in the garden. It is quite a small park, but it will due suitably for me someday."

Mary took an immediate liking to Mr. Collins' frankness. There was no need to deny the future. There was no possibility of Mrs. Bennet having any more children, therefore the possibility of an heir was non-existent. It was best for the Bennet family to face the situation that was dealt to them, and that meant facing these facts. As Mary smiled with the assurance that this man could be an excellent prospect for her, she looked around the room to see her mother, speechless. This was a very unusual state to find her mother in. Mary naturally attributed her state to the excellence of the man before them, as her mother was of course lost in a state of delight at the good fortune of their family to have such a cousin.

As dinner approached, the family made their way to the dining room along with Mr. Collins. The meal began in the following manner:

"What a nicely situated room Madam. Although I do regret that the windows face West, how unfortunate. Dining room windows must always face East to catch the morning sun. How horrid to take part in one's breakfast in the dark."

"I assure you Mr. Collins" began Mrs. Bennet with determined civility "that is it is neither dark nor unpleasant in the mornings here."

"Good, I am very glad that it is satisfactory. My dinning room faces east, it is most excellently situated. My home is in prime condition, due to the very meticulous oversight of my Patroness, Lady Catherine deBourgh. You've heard of her I assume?"

There was a general shake of the head in denial by the Bennet family. Mr. Collins thought this the most fortunate circumstance to acquaint them with his good fortune.

"I am quite astonished, my dear cousins, to hear of your lack of knowledge of the highest of the nobility. Even though you all may live a very... modest life, you cannot neglect the duty of knowing whom God has bestowed the good fortune of nobility upon. Lady Catherine is of the most decided fashion and elegance. Her estate, Rosings park, is next to my sizable parsonage. Lady Catherine saw to the preparation of the home even before my coming, and her staff took meticulous care of it. Why, she even saw to the placing of the shelves in the closet! I often find myself in company with her, for she finds it very appropriate to communicate with one's clergyman. Therefore I pride myself, my dear cousins, in keeping her informed of every minute occurrence of my parishioners. She is most attentive to their needs, and often condescends upon them to give them her valuable advice about various situations."

Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet were greatly amused by such a speech, and thoroughly enjoyed the absurdity of it. But Mary was quite in raptures at his close acquaintance with nobility and his interaction with his parishers. "This is how a clergyman ought to be" thought Mary "sensible, convenient and attentive." Mary continued to reflect upon nobility, she had never encountered them before. Would Lady Catherine be as grand as Mr. Collins suggested? She imagined her to be a very stately woman, kind hearted and just in her dealings with the villagers. Mary decided that she should very much like to spend her time with such a grand woman as Lady Catherine.

Mrs. Bennet then had the good fortune of stumbling upon a topic to which Mr. Collins found himself particularly eloquent. "Does Lady Catherine have any family?"

"Yes madam. Her daughter, Anne deBourgh, is the heiress of Rosings and of very extensive property. She is most charming, and as Lady Catherine has observed to me on more than one occasion, she is a true beauty-for her character and, of course, her distinguished birth. I have informed her Ladyship that a finer young woman could not be found in all of England. Unfortunately, she has a somewhat sickly constitution which has greatly affected her musical education. Lady Catherine feels it most acutely, for she is very fond of music. If Anne would have learned, she would have been a great proficient."

On this subject, Mary was very confident. Much to the chagrin of her family, Mary found every opportunity to expand her knowledge of the instrument. Feeling confident that she could finally contribute to the discussion, she attempted to appeal to Mr. Collins "That is a shame, for she may never improve unless she practices. No excellence can be acquired without constant practice." Mary secretly hoped that one of her family members would mention her dedication to the instrument, but unfortunately none of them seemed particularly interested in Mary's comment. So to take matters into her own hands, she continued "I must apologize in advance, dear cousin, for I find that much of my day is spent with my instrument. I hope you will not be bothered by my diligence." The effect was just what Mary wished for "Oh my dear Miss Mary, I pride myself on my particularly fine taste in music. Although, as her Ladyship often reminds me, it is not equal to her own, I take great pleasure in music. Therefore, do not distress yourself cousin-you are not as accomplished as the masters in London, but I will endure your music with the greatest pleasure." Mary let a smile tug at her lips. Elizabeth watched in disbelief, as Mary's smile was a rarity indeed. Elizabeth took a mental note to talk with her mother about the incident later, if anyone could get Mary engaged it was Mrs. Bennet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning after breakfast, Mrs. Bennet declared that she needed a few things in town and requested that her daughters and Mr. Collins make a trip to fetch them for her. Elizabeth took this opportunity to quickly opt out of spending time in the company of Mr. Collins, claiming she was previously engaged to spend the morning with Charlotte. This was partly true, Elizabeth was indeed planning to visit her dear friend and tell her all of the particulars of this new guest of theirs, but also a chance to be alone with Mrs. Bennet. After the girls departed with Mr. Collins, Elizabeth made her way to the drawing room. She found her mother staring out the window "Lizzy, you know Mr. Collins has many recommendable qualities. He seems to be very close to Lady Catherine, and I dare say that is a very advantageous connection." Elizabeth had a suspicion that her mother was thinking of having her be the center of Mr. Collins' attentions, but Elizabeth could not possibly pay any attention to such a silly man. "Yes Mama, I dare say it is. I do believe Mary is very taken with him" "Mary! How could he..." Elizabeth could tell her mother was pleased with such an idea. Mrs. Bennet had often observed that Mary would be the hardest daughter to get married, for she possessed neither the beauty of Jane nor the liveliness of Elizabeth. Lydia and Kitty made up for their lack of knowledge and beauty by their flirtatious manner. But Mary had always kept to herself, dedicating all of her time to the advancement of her mind. Yes, Mrs. Bennet could now very well see the advantages to such a match.

"I do believe my dear that we must see to it that Mr. Collins is much in the company of Mary. And we cannot have you or Jane lurking about, for he is far less likely to take any interest in Mary if you and Jane constantly out do her. Now dear Jane, she must stay here-for you know we must not separate her from Mr. Bingley! I will simply hint that she is soon to be engaged. Now you, Lizzy, what shall I do with you?" Elizabeth went wide eyed at her mother's lack of discretion in regards to Jane and Bingley. "Ah! I shall send you to your Aunt and Uncle Gardiner! That is just the thing! I will write to my dear Mrs. Gardiner and request a visit at once! You will leave first thing after the Netherfield ball!"

Elizabeth tried to protest, insisting that she must be there for Jane. But Mrs. Bennet would not hear it. Once she had a plan in her mind, it could not be questioned. Elizabeth knew full well that her fate was decided. Lizzy dearly loved the Gardiners, and considered Mrs. Gardiner more of a mentor than her own mother. They were a very wise couple, and they held a great affection for each other. As much as Elizabeth adored both the prospects of London and the Gardiners, she knew Jane would not be pleased with such a plan.

"Mama I'm afraid..." "Shush Lizzy! Can you not see that I am writing to my sister! How is one supposed to write eloquently when one is constantly interrupted! Why is everyone so set on ruining my poor nerves" Mrs. Bennet waved her hand in the air with her pen to exaggerate her point. Elizabeth took this as her cue to leave. The moment she stepped out of the drawing room, she met her father-book in hand. "My dear Lizzy, I have just come to show you the latest arrival! I have been waiting for this book for some weeks! Perhaps once I am finished, you would wish to read it yourself! It is by the most distinguished Author-" "Papa" Lizzy interjected "forgive me, I am very late to an engagement with Charlotte. If you will excuse me" Elizabeth stormed up the stairs leaving her father standing in nothing but awe at what his wife could have said to create such a reaction from his book-loving daughter. Upon entering the drawing room and finding his wife busy with a letter, he soon had his answer.

When the ladies returned with Mr. Collins, they were full of stories. Jane had left to call on Charlotte, knowing Lizzy would be there, and Kitty and Lydia were laughing merrily and parading their new ribbons for Mr. Bingley's ball. Mary had secured the arm of Mr. Collins, who had discovered her love of Fourdyce and eagerly engaged in a discussion. They were both very much engaged in the discussion upon entering the house, until Mrs. Bennet graced them with her presence "ah, Mr. Collins and my dear Mary! It is so wonderful to see you both so engaged in discussion! I believe, Mr. Collins, that you will find Mary a very dedicated learner. It is wonderful to see that you both possess such a love for learning!" Mary looked down and blushed at her mother's comment, but Mr. Collins did not notice. "Oh yes Mrs. Bennet! My cousin and I have had a wonderful afternoon." He went on to describe all of the events in painstaking detail to a very eager Mrs. Bennet.

While everyone at the Bennet home was in the best of spirits, the same could not be said for the Lucas'. Elizabeth was quick relay that afternoon's discussion with her mother. Charlotte assured Elizabeth that she would have a wonderful time in London, and that she could easily visit Jane to keep her company. Jane was utterly embarrassed at her mother's behavior, but assumed that it was for her benefit. Elizabeth had a harder time coming to terms with the situation. Charlotte sat in amusement as these two sisters reasoned through the following weeks.

When Jane and Elizabeth returned to Longbourn they were greeted by cries of joy as the family was in preparation for the Bingley's ball the next evening. It was discovered that Mr. Collins had secured Mary's hand for the first two dances, much to the delight of Mrs. Bennet. Mary was no great dancer, in fact she quite despised the whole process. This left her sisters much confused as to her agreeing to not one, but two dances with this very strange cousin. To add to Lizzy and Jane's shock, Lydia and Kitty announced that they intended to stay with the Philips for a week after the ball. This pleased Mrs. Bennet in two ways, the first was to get Mary alone in the house, and the second was to get those girls closer to the officers. Surely they would dine with them every night!

While Elizabeth was on the verge of protesting at the foolishness of this decision, she realized that it was a hopeless cause. She turned towards her father's library and knocked heavily on the door

"Lizzy! How very glad I am to see you! I trust you had a nice afternoon with the Lucas'?" He could tell she was once again in a foul mood, but still attributed it to the day's earlier turn of events

"Papa, you are not going to believe what Lydia has decided. She and Kitty have announced that they have every intention of staying with the Phillips' for the next week."

"Yes my Lizzy, I have already heard their plea. I believe it is a very smart situation, it gives so little inconvenience to her family"

"Father! If you do not take the trouble to check her, Lydia will become the most determined flirt that ever made herself and her family ridiculous. Jane and I are always desperate to keep her under control when we are with her in Meryton, but without any family she will run positively wild!"

"My dear Lizzy, Lydia will never be easy until she has exposed herself in some way or another. In fact, I do believe we should thank our dear Phillips for bearing with her for the week!"

Elizabeth stormed out of the room and flew up stairs. At least she would be in London, away from the embarrassment of her family.

The next morning brought a state of frenzy to the Bennet household. Lydia and Kitty shouted their excitement of spending the whole evening with officers, and went on to describe who's attention they would capture that evening. Jane was blissfully happy, knowing that she would be with Mr. Bingley, who always captured her attention. Elizabeth was becoming ever more convinced of Mr. Bingley's strong regard for her sister Jane, and was looking forward to seeing her blossom under his presence tonight. She was also looking forward to the company of a certain young officer, George Wickham, whom she had met at one of her Aunt Phillips' parties in Meryton. He had informed her of how abominably ill Mr. Darcy had used him, and Elizabeth was filled with dislike for the man.

Mary, although not typically fond of a ball, was all affability tonight. As she sat in her chamber while her maid attended to her hair, she could not help but contemplate how agreeable the week had been with Mr. Collins. No one had ever paid attention to Mary, but Mr. Collins never left her side. They had spent endless hours in the library, originally to escape her mother, but had found that they each enjoyed spending hours pouring over sermons and other theological books. Mary expressed her interest in learning Latin, and Mr Collins declared he would teach her. They spent hours with the Latin books, and both found a great enjoyment in her progress. Although Mr. Collins was not a patient man, he did enjoy the praise he received from Mr. Bennet for making his daughter into such a scholar.

Mary gazed into the mirror in front of her. She did look lovely tonight. Betsy had taken particular care with her hair, due to her mother's ever watchful gaze and intent on having her daughter well settled. Everything had been cared for with the utmost supervision. She wore a simple white muslin gown, it suited her figure well, but was quite modest in cut. Mary had always been most insistent on modesty, and had often tried to persuade her younger sisters of its importance in the achievement of godliness. Much to Mary's frustration, her words of wisdom had fallen on deaf ears.

She made her way downstairs with extra care, not wishing to ruin anything that had been done to her hair or to hurt her dress. Mary's self-esteem suddenly took a tumble when she saw Jane and Elizabeth. Each of them was beautiful, Jane's goodness and beauty radiated from her and her grace could be felt by anyone standing near. Elizabeth had a very pleasing figure, not as fine as Jane's, but still very beautiful. Her hair was adorned with tiny pearls, and her eyes sparkled with the vivacity with which she lived her life. Kitty and Lydia were nothing to the elder two, their silliness being their primary allurement.

Mr. Collins soon appeared, and the whole party made their way to the carriage.

"Mary, you look lovely this evening my dear" said Mr. Bennet, who was pointedly looking at Mr. Collins to follow in his footsteps

"Ah yes, I am sure her ladyship would approve. She has never been adverse to the truly humble"

Mr. Bennet was quite amused at such endeavored civility. It seemed that the poor man was incapable of giving any meaningful compliments. He would certainly have an interesting marriage! Mary managed to smile back at the man's attempt at a compliment. Tonight would certainly be an interesting evening.

The Bennet family was ushered to the ballroom where they were greeted by Mr. Bingley himself. The gentleman could not have possessed a bigger smile upon seeing Jane. Mrs. Bennet was quite overjoyed at the reaction, as she was sure there would be a wedding at Netherfield very soon. Mr. Bennet found endless amusement at the reactions of Bingley and his daughter, convinced as he was that Bingley was in love with his daughter far beyond reproach. Mary did not notice any of this however, for upon entering the ballroom she was escorted by Mr. Collins to the center of the dance floor.

The musicians played the introduction for the dance, and all of the couples took their places. Mary curtsied in the most regal and elegant manner she knew how. Then the dance begun. The lines both stepped forward to meet in the middle for a half turn, when her feet were offended by the squashing weight of Mr. Collins' toes. "I am so sorry, my dear Miss Mary. It seems I have yet to get into the habit of a lively dance this evening!". This continued on for the entirety of the first two dances that Mary had promised herself for. Fortunately for both parties, Mary was very forgiving of dance skills. She herself held no interest in the discipline and was quite content with a husband who did not possess a particular grace in that frivolous area of life.

After the dance had come to an end, and bows and curtsies were once again exchanged, Mr. Collins ran off to produce punch for the two admirers.


	3. Chapter 3

After returning from the punch table with about half of the original amount of liquid left in the two glasses and the other half on the ballroom floor, Mr. Collins ushered Mary out to the terrace. As they made their way to an unoccupied corner, Mr. Collins addressed Mary in a very solemn tone "Miss Mary, I find myself unable to contain my feelings any longer. I must make known to you a very well pondered question." Mary's heart began to pound. She was to be engaged before any of her sisters! She would soon become the most doted upon one of the Bennet sisters, for they would all envy her good fortune. And to be the mistress of such a sizable parsonage, and to be so close with a lady of such extreme consequence! Mary no longer felt the chill of the night, but only felt the warmth of the blood rush to her cheeks as she leaned forward on her toes in expectation of the most wonderful words she would ever hear.

"Miss Mary, I find myself particularly struggling with the ability to reconcile the rector here in Meryton. He has not mentioned Fourdyce once in his sermons thus far!" Disappointment would be an understatement to Mary's feelings. Mary leaned back on her heels, and her face went white. Mr. Collins at once reached out to catch her, for surely she was about to faint. "Miss Mary! You must be ill! How thoughtless of you to endeavor out of doors without a shall!" "Oh yes, how thoughtless" she thought to herself as she berated herself for such lofty expectations.

The two soon made their way to the entrance to the ball room. But even as Mr. Collins had his hand firmly holding her arm, she nearly fainted again when she saw the sight before her. Mr. Darcy was dancing with Elizabeth. How could that be? His character had been decided upon as the most unkind and ungracious creature when he had behaved so abominably ill towards Elizabeth at the Meryton assembly. How could she in her right conscience accept the hand of a man of such little character? Had she no value of virtue in a man? Perhaps Lizzy was simply jealous of Mr. Collins' attentions towards Mary, and had been desperate for a partner. Yes, that must be the reason.

"Oh my! Is that Mr. Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire?" Mary gave a slight nod to affirm Mr. Collins, but was in such a state of confusion she barely understood his next words. "I must go to him at once! He is the nephew of my esteemed patroness Lady Catherine!" He immediately began to walk towards the man, or perhaps skip would be a more appropriate description of his fast pace, in the middle of the dance.

William Collins had never been so proud his entire trip to Hertfordshire as he was when he discovered someone who would fully appreciate the enormity of his employment for such an esteemed lady as Darcy's Aunt. Surely as soon as he related the information to the man, he would immediately take a kinship with Mr. Collins, and would further the man's annual allowance through writing to his aunt to congratulate her on such an eloquent clergyman.

Mr. Collins barely remained out of the way of the dancers, for he hovered around the space that Mr. Darcy would reach in certain parts of the dance as he moved down the set. Mr. Darcy was engaged in a very serious discourse with Miss Elizabeth, as both parties showed a rather serious and unpleasant look about them. But Mr. Collins did not notice. He cursed his luck for the length of the dance, and was so focused on rehearsing the forthcoming conversation with his esteemed patroness' nephew, that he took no notice of the mood of his future object of conversation.

When the dance ended (after what Mr. Collins felt was an ungodly amount of time-he would mention it to Mary later in the evening) he made his way to his unfortunate prey. As soon as Darcy turned from bowing to Elizabeth, his face contorted with pain, Mr. Collins accosted him:

"Mr. Darcy! Ah! My dear Sir, allow me to tell you how truly delighted I am to see a man of such nobility among this gathering of humble country folk! Your presence here, dear sir, does them good to know their place in the greater society of England. And, my dear sir, if I am not mistaken, you are of extremely noble lineage! You have by now, I am sure, guessed that I am the very fortunate clergyman for your most esteemed aunt, Lady Catherine deBourgh. The ability to see a relation of hers this evening has brought me the deepest joy! Would you believe it, Mr. Darcy, that everyone I have encountered in this very desperate establishment had never been fortunate enough to have knowledge of her ladyship? It speaks dearly of the poor education of the inhabitance here I am afraid." Mr. Collins tried to catch his breath after having delivered the whole of his rehearsed monologue in one breath.

"If you will excuse me, give my regards to my aunt." With that, the noble Mr. Darcy of Pemberley walked in an extremely firm step towards the sister of Mr. Bingley.

"What an excellent man! He is the spitting image of Lady Catherine's description! She is always very observant, and describes people in the utmost detail. Why, I daresay I should have recognized him from miles away, for he does possess the Fitzwilliam eyes which are also possessed by his cousin Anne, of whom, a most advantageous marriage...Miss Elizabeth?" the poor man turned to his right to find that his noble cousin was half way down the set with the very amiable Mr. Bingley.

Mr. Collins located Mary right before dinner, and managed to acquire her as his partner. Over dinner they found a mutual interest in a certain philosopher whom, it was decided, was the most inspiring for future clergymen. Their animated conversation did not go unnoticed by Mrs. Bennet, who was quite in raptures at the idea of having two of her daughters so well settled- or so she informed Lady Lucas. While Mary and Mr. Collins were so amiably engaged, Jane and Mr. Bingley were involved in an equally engaging conversation at the head of the table.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Mornin' miss, you best be gettin' up. I recon you will want to breakfast before you leave for London." Lizzy's eyes fluttered open "Betsy, what time will the coach be leaving from Totteridge Village? I suppose that is where Mama is planning to have me catch the coach to London." "Eye Miss, it is. I am told it will leave right after luncheon." The peaceful morning silence was broken by the old wooden floors creaking outside Lizzy and Jane's room which preceded the breaking of the darkness of the room when Mrs. Bennet flung the door open "Oh my, lazy child! How am I ever to get you girls married if you are not on that coach to London! Make haste Lizzy! The carriage will take you to Totteridge in an hour. Now you must remember to not be a nuisance to my brother and sister Gardiner, they already have so many children of their own. And no rambling through the London streets as you do the country, it is not seemly for a young lady to be out alone. And you must make every effort to be in the company of young men Lizzy dear, your aunt ought to know how it is to be done." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and swung her feet out from underneath the warmth of the covers to greet the cold morning floor.

A few tearful goodbyes later and Elizabeth was on her way out of Longbourn park. Just at the edge of the Bennet property the carriage passed a messenger man. It was odd, Lizzy thought, to be delivering news at such a time. She sighed, surely Jane would write to her in London and describe any important information the messenger had. Elizabeth reached for her reticule and pulled out the latest novel her father had added to their library. Upon attempting the prologue, she found she had no appetite for a novel. Surely Jane would be able to handle Longbourn herself, and be able to court Bingley all the while. And Lord willing Mary would be able to check her younger sisters' behaviour when Collins was not hovering beside her. No, it would not do. Elizabeth could not fool herself-the only two sensible sisters she left home to watch over their flirtatious Lydia and Kitty were besotted and therefore utterly useless in their sisterly duties. Heaven help them all.

A sudden jerk of the carriage awoke Elizabeth from her nap. The door opened to reveal a rather stout older man with a jolly countenance who offered his hand to her. "Welcome to Totteridge miss." She took his proffered hand and descended from the carriage. "You will find a nice fire an' a hot meal right inside miss. The coach comes in an hour, it will meet you right outside ye front gate there." With a nod and a slight curtsey, Elizabeth made her way inside of inn that an aroma of freshly baked pies projecting in a thirty foot radius from the building.

Making her way into the front parlor, she spotted a middle aged woman who looked to know what she was about. "Excuse me, might I get a table for luncheon? I am to catch the coach in then next hour" "Of course miss, it will be just a moment." With that the woman disappeared into the dinning room. Staring after the woman, Elizabeth missed the sound of the front door opening behind her. "My word, it cannot be! Miss Bennet?" Elizabeth turned on her heels only to find Charles Bingley right in the middle of the door way.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Mr. Bingley! What a surprise! Whatever are you doing here?"

"And I might inquire the same of you as well! You were dancing at home no more than twelve hours ago! But if you truly must know, Miss Elizabeth, we-that is Darcy, Caroline, Louisa, Hurst and I- are off to London so that Darcy and I might conclude some business this week. Caroline swore she would write to Ja-err Miss Bennet to inform her of our sudden departure, surely she was not remiss on her promise!"

"I left so early myself as to have missed any news that might have arrived, however I did pass a messanger on my way out of the park. "

"Well now, I came in ahead of the others to procure a table for my party and alas I have been remiss in my duties! I insist that you join us Miss Elizabeth, I simply insist!"

"It would be a pleasure Mr. Bingley"

No sooner had the request for Elizabeth's table been changed to a party of six, than the party in question came stumbling through the door.

"Really Darcy, I do not see what he saw in that horrid neighborhood! The whole lot of them with their countrified mannors and fine eyes and impertinent remarks! How I would loathe to ever set eyes upon.."

"Caroline!" Mr. Bingley exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly "look what good fortune we have! I have just encountered Miss Elizabeth at this very place! She is to join us for luncheon. Is this not wonderful!"

Caroline's face turned to that of a lady consuming a lemon as elegantly as she might. "Why, Eliza! What a surprise! I did not know you traveled. Did you lose your way on one of your rambles?"

"Miss Bennet has such a keen sense of direction, Miss Bingley, that I am sure she is never lost. Not in her hometown of all places. As you know she is a most devoted walker" Mr. Darcy said with such haughtiness and distain for Caroline's ill-bred remarks that he received no rebuttle.

Charles and Louisa looked most decidedly uncomfortable.

"Well, here is our table." Charles stated as he zoomed over to Caroline's side to claim her arm. Surely he could put her as far away from Elizabeth as possible if they were all going to make it through meal alive.

Hurst took his wife's arm, rambling about his hopes for a decent ale in such a godforsaken place. Darcy had no chocie but to offer his arm to the one he had attempted to flee. He silently escorted her to her seat, between he and Charles with a tingling arm. After Caroline had ordered a feast enough for the king himself, Charles decided to draw Elizabeth into conversation.

"So Miss Elizabeth, what brings you here?"

"I am for my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner's house. I make a visit at least once a year, for I dearly love to see the children grow. The youngest, Susan, is my godchild and I am sure to spoil her as often as I can."

"How delightful it must be to be an aunt!" Charles sent a pointed glance in the direction of Louisa and Hurst, thankful that no children had been brought into that horrid marriage.

"Oh yes, the children are delightful! Their governess is excellent, just enough strictness mixed with a very healthy affection. "

"One can never be too careful when selecting a governess" Mr. Darcy observed very soberly, "...their impact on the children is such that one must observe the highest amount of caution with references and interviews." A pained look passed his face briefly before looking back to his plate.

"Very true Mr. Darcy, my young cousins are very fortunate in their parentage, for they could not have chosen better guardians had the whole of England been up for the choosing! They are of such a wise and compassionate nature as to be sure of securing the highest quality of governess"

After the food had been served, a carriage was heard approaching the building

"Mr. Bingley, it has been so wonderful to see you again. I am afraid I must fetch my things and catch the coach. "

"The coach? Surely not! I will not stand for you traveling alone in a coach!"

"Really, Mr. Bingley, I shall be alright"

"No, Miss Elizabeth, I absolutely insist on delivering you to your aunt and uncle myself. We brought two carriages, I see no reason why you should not come with us. I will not have it any other way. Right Darcy?"

Darcy, not wanting to appear too eager for her company, replied in as indifferent a tone as he could muster. "Of course Charles"

"Well then, it is all settled. What providence that we should meet you here today Miss Elizabeth! I am so glad that Darcy and I shall have your company all the way to London! You must ride with Darcy and I, Louisa, Hurst and Caroline can ride in my carriage and amuse themselves with the droll fashion plates from London."

Elizabeth knew she stood no chance arguing with these men. Although Darcy appeared indifferent, she could tell that Bingley truly wished for her company. Perhaps she could even mention Jane...


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments! Please continue to leave your thoughts and suggestions!

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_**Longbourn**_

"My dear Mary, as my most esteemed patroness exhorts me to walk as often as I am able for the sake of my health, I wonder if you would serve as a guide through the countryside this morning"

A gasp came from the other end of the table, in the general direction of Mrs. Bennet. Mary's cheeks turned rosy pink at being so singled out

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Collins"

With that, the two soon-to-be lovers left the room. At least something was turning out right for Mrs. Bennet, the woman considered herself very fortunate that this cousin had singled out her spinsterhood-bound daughter. Perhaps she would not be bound for the hedge rows after all.

Not a moment after the door had shut behind Mr. Collins and Mary did Mrs. Bennet move on to her next order of business.

"Jane, you must follow Lizzy to London. There really is no other option. I shall send an express to my sister Gardiner. It will not due for him to just leave when he is so obviously in love with you! Heaven knows the inheritance that the London girls will have that he will meet at all of the parties!" She paused for dramatic effect, with an added sniffle at the end. "Oh well, I must remain here as it is my duty to secure Mr. Collins marries Mary. It will provide some small comfort to know that one of my girls shall be able to be mistress here when Mr. Bennet reaches his demise."

Jane remained silent.

"Oh Jane, we must make him miss you first. Yes, absence is sure to make his heart grow fond of your angelic face. We will wait one week, and then you will go to London and make your presence known to him. But we must have new lace for your gowns! I will not send you to London without lace! "

Mrs. Bennet was so busy rambling about the kitchen fetching her pen and ink that she failed to see the single tear escaping Jane's eyes.

_**Meryton**_

"What think you of the last volume of Fourdyce, Mr. Collins? "

"It is of the utmost importance for young ladies to be acquainted with that particular volume, Miss Mary. A young lady cannot be too well read in Fourdyce. It speaks very well to all matters moral. I commend it to all of the young ladies in the parish"

"And your parish sir, is it a large one?"

"I like to flatter myself, dear cousin, that although our parish is not as numerable as some in the city that we fill our pews with people of dignity and godliness. Lady Catherine has such a way with the parish members, she most benevolently extends her advice to even the lowest of the members. In fact, just last week she was advice Miss Potterage about the advancement of her mind by Fourdyce. She is a firm believer in young women being well acquainted with the ways and expectations of proper behavior. "

"Lady Catherine sounds like a most generous patron"

"Oh yes, she has been most good to me. I have a very sizable parsonage, complete with a large garden that I tend to myself, in accordance to her Ladyship's orders. She encourages me to tend to the land for the sake of my health."

"I believe that to be very wise advice Sir"

Just then, Mr. Collins stopped and turned to face her. His moist hand reaching for hers.

"My dear cousin, your wisdom is well beyond your years. It does you great credit to recognize her ladyship as such an excellent source of knowledge. I am sure she would very much approve of your devotion to the furthering of your mind and submission to her most excellent advice."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_**Totteridge Village**_

"Well Darcy, we must be going. We really should reach London by dusk" Bingley said after a glance at his watch.

After settling the cost of the meal with the inn, Darcy arranged for Elizabeth's things to be added to his coach. Which was strange, he thought, as his primary motive for leaving Hertfordshire was just about to step foot inside his carriage.

Louisa and Hurst made their way to the Bingley carriage, and Charles escorted Caroline inside before abruptly shutting the door and heading for the Darcy set of wheels with such efficiency that his sister could make a sound. "Miss Bennet", Darcy spoke as he took her hand to help her into the carriage. His fingers felt numb; he rubbed his thumb against the fingers that had just graced her hand.

Not a minute later, Bingley came bounding into the carriage. "That was fast" Darcy remarked slyly. "Speed is the best source of silence" Bingley responded with a sheepish grin.

"How did you leave your family, Miss Elizabeth? I trust they are all in good health?"

"Of course Mr. Bingley. Your ball was the talk of breakfast this morning. I myself have never seen my sisters, Jane in particular, so satisfied after an evening out."

A look Elizabeth could not quite place crossed Bingley's features-one mixed of torment, fear, hope and agony. Darcy seemed agitated.

"Well I am glad the evening brought such enjoyment. I quite enjoyed the event myself!" Bingley stated after snapping back into his usual amiable self.

"Indeed" Darcy muttered under his breath

"Last night after I danced the Wakefield Hunt with Miss Bennet, your mother mentioned that it was thought that your sister was to be made an offer of marriage from a man from London a number of years ago. Did that ever come to fruition?" Bingley asked with equal parts anticipation and dread in his countenance

"Ah, Mr. Smith! That was some time ago. Well..."

There was a long uncomfortable silence as Elizabeth gathered her thoughts.

"You see, Mr. Bingley, to be perfectly blunt with you, neither I nor my sister will marry for any less than equal affection in marriage. Let us just say that my sister spared him the unfortunate occurrence of unequal affection in a union. "

Bingley allowed the breath he had been holding to escape "I see. That is very wise of her"

"I would not call it wise, but necessary Mr. Bingley. There is nothing worse than an unequal marriage where affection is concerned"

Further silence ensued. Darcy could not help but admit that she was right, Bingley was fighting his resolve in regards to Jane's lack of affection.

"How long do you plan to stay in London Miss Elizabeth?"

"However long it may be, it will not as long as I wish!" Elizabeth laughed "I do love my time with my aunt and uncle, I might be able to convince my father to spare me for a month or two."

"Well, you must come to the theater with us some time" Bingley was trying to contrive some method of keeping in contact, who knows how long his family would tie him to London. "I will escort you myself. What are your favorites?"

"I am a great lover of Shakespeare, I must confess."

"As am I" Elizabeth was startled from the deep voice that belonged to Darcy, he had previously remained silent while staring at the passing countryside. "Do you care for Hamlet?"

"Why yes, that is a favorite. A Man for All Seasons is also a great work."

"Perhaps you should take Georgiana with us, Darcy. She dearly loves the theater! And Miss Elizabeth could keep her out of Caroline's clutches for the evening."

"Yes, perhaps we should. As long as you promise not to compliment her on her "extensive accomplishments" every moment, I am sure you shall have a fast friend in her Miss Elizabeth" Darcy recited with a twinkle of mirth in his eyes

"I would be honored to meet Miss Darcy. Is she out in society?"

"She is just sixteen, and I am afraid I am terribly selfish and cannot bear to see her out for another year or two. She is quite shy, and as I suffer from a bout of the same troubles myself I am of little help."

Mr. Darcy shy? Elizabeth's eyes widened with recognition. Is that why he was always so silent?

_**Longbourn**_

"Mary and Mr. Collins have been gone for such a time. Surely he must have proposed by now!"

"Mama one does not always propose when taking a walk with an acquaintance, even on long walks!" cried Jane.

"Yes, well if he knows what is good for him he will ask her soon. It will not due to have him lurking about my home in this manner trespassing on our hospitality without even paying one of my girls the compliment of a marriage proposal."

Kitty rolled her eyes in irritation. "Oh here they come!" she exclaimed from the window.

Jane joined Kitty to sight the couple in question "I have never seen Mary look so well. Having a suitor suits her"

"Well of course it does Jane! It would suit all of you perfectly well!" her mother screeched.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for the reviews! Please continue to leave your comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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**Chapter 8**

_**London**_

After 5 hours in a carriage together, it is safe to say that all members of the Darcy carriage were now well acquainted. They had broached every subject from Darcy and Bingley's friendship to Elizabeth's favorite books. Siblings were discussed in abundance, as each seemed to have their own challenges with the younger ones. Elizabeth gave Darcy advice on Georgiana, Charles gave advice on how to best avoid one's younger sister. By the time they reached Gracechurch Street, objections to the Bennet family had been quite forgotten.

"Is this the house, Miss Elizabeth" said Darcy as he peered out of the window. The Darcy driver had taken them into a beautiful neighborhood that quite resembled that of the Darcy home, the difference being that the streets here were lined with young trees.

"What did you say your uncle's business was in?" asked Bingley in disbelief of the sight before him.

"Trade" Perhaps she said it a little too loudly. Both men looked properly chastised. "Mostly in textiles. He owns Brandon Bay Warehouse, where most of the material is sold to dress and furnishing shops.

"But Darcy" exclaimed Bingley in disbelief "that is the warehouse that carried my father's merchandise! Mr. Gardiner's father is the man who gave us our fortune!"

Darcy was wide eyed with mortification. He just couldn't wait until Caroline heard about this. Not only were these Bennet girls above her in that they were gentleman's daughters, but their family had given her the wealth of which she was so keenly aware.

"Well, if that is indeed true Mr. Bingley then I must insist that you come inside and meet my aunt and uncle. They are most charming and would be most sorry if they did not have the change to meet you!"

The three descended the carriage, Bingley jumping out first followed by Elizabeth. Darcy trailed behind the pair once again wondering how he ended up in this situation.

They trailed up an entire story of steps to the main entrance of the residence. The housekeeper admitted them all with cries of joy at Elizabeth's return.

Mrs. Gardiner came to meet them all in the foyer with four young children trailing behind her.

"Lizzy, Lizzy!" Susan cried as she ran right into Elizabeth and hugged her godmother most tightly. Elizabeth took turns swinging the children up in the air.

"Aunt, allow me to introduce to you Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bingley has leased Netherfield park, and insisted on delivering me to you himself"

"It is a pleasure! Thank you so much Mr. Bingley for delivering my Lizzy safe and sound. Her uncle and I always worry when she insists on having her own way!" she said with a sympathetic smile in Elizabeth's direction "Please, do come in. You must be tired from your journey!"

Darcy and Bingley followed the elegant lady into a beautifully adorned sitting room. The windows were covered in extremely rich turkish silk curtains, the furniture adorned with the highest quality of cloth. But none of it was placed for show, purely for enjoyment. "So they are unpretentious and rich" Darcy concluded.

"So Mr. Bingley, you have recently leased Netherfield?"

"Yes, mame"

"And have you been satisfied with the home and the neighborhood?"

"Oh yes, I find the local society quite pleasant. The house has everything I could ever need. But I must ask, Mrs. Gardiner, if your husband does indeed run Brandon Bay, for if he does I am afraid my entire fortune is indebted to him!"

"Why yes he does own Brandon, he inherited the operation from his father. Pray, who was your family that was involved in Brandon?"

"My grandfather, Henry Bingley, began textiles trading some time ago. He brought the goods to Brandon Bay, and Mr. Gardiner Sr. agreed to sell them. My father continued on in the same business until his untimely death not ten years ago. "

"Well upon my word, you must stay to meet my husband! He will be most overjoyed to meet the son of Edward Bingley! He was such a dear friend. I am so glad that you introduced yourself, Mr. Bingley!"

Elizabeth glanced triumphantly in Bingley's general direction.

"Indeed, that is what I was told before I ever stepped foot in your home" he laughed.

"Aunt, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy have promised to take me to the theater. Do you know if there are any Shakespeare performances soon?"

"Yes my dear, we were just at the theater last week. The Taming of the Shrew was the title, it was quite enjoyable."

"Do you frequent the theater Mrs. Gardiner?" Darcy questioned

"Yes, I do quite enjoy myself Mr. Darcy. Whenever my husband secures a box, which I admit he does quite frequently, we take full advantage of the wonderful London theater offerings."

Secure a box? Bingley can barely do that without my name. Darcy now had a full realization of just how poorly he had judged this family.

"Do you think Miss Georgiana would like it?" Elizabeth asked Darcy with all sweetness and sincerity. His offhanded comment on shyness in the earlier carriage ride and opened her eyes to his behavior.

"I am sure she will. Shall we go next week? Mrs. Gardiner, would you and your husband care to join us?"

"I would be delighted!"

"Good, good. I will call next week to deliver all of the details."

Much to the dissapointment of Bingley, Mr. Gardiner did not come home until very late. Thus Darcy and his good friend left for their own establishments without the satisfaction of meeting the patriarch that Elizabeth so admired.

"Darcy I daresay we misjudged them. I say we misjudged them very much."

"Very true Bingley, very true."


	9. Chapter 9

Mrs. Collins' Debut

**Chapter 9**

_**Longbourn**_

"I say Mr. Bennet" cried his wife as she craned her neck to see out the breakfast room window, "that they shall be engaged by the end of the week!"

"Is that so" mumbled her husband, not bothering to look up from his paper

"He has been so attentive to our Mary, and as I encouraged him by dropping some rather subtle hints to the man, I must take full credit for this change of behavior!"

"My dear, what exactly would you describe as a 'subtle hint'?"

"Mr. Bennet, what think you of my character? I was most discreet! I simply pulled him aside one evening as Mary was at the piano and hinted that the eldest girls' affection was engaged elsewhere, but that Mary would make any parson an excellent wife. Ever since he has not been able to take his eyes off of her!"

"I am sure that not even Lady Lucas could dismiss your abilities in the art of matchmaking" he replied as he stood up from the table and left the room. His wife smiled at her small triumph in securing her husband's approval.

On the way to his library, Mr. Bennet ran into the couple in question in the foyer.

"Mr. Bennet" Mr. Collins stated rather somberly, "I wish to speak to you in the privacy of your library." After a glance at his middle daughter's glowing face, he knew it would be best to get this over with.

Mary made her way to the breakfast room, where she found her mother flipping through the fashion plates that their aunt had sent from London. She could not wait to finally be deemed an acceptable daughter.

"Mama, I have just consented to be Mr. Collins' wife"

"Oh, my darling, darling girl!" the matron screeched

_**London**_

After the gentleman left, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner went up to the guest room to unpack Lizzy's things. After general inquiries as to the health and happiness of each and the pleasantness of the journey, their talk turned to that of Mrs. Gardiner's most recent acquaintances.

"Upon my word Lizzy, they are such pleasant gentleman! And to think that I had not put together Jane's Mr. Bingley and his grandfather! Although I admit it is not a name I had heard in years!"

"Well aunt, I can assure you that from what we know of him, Mr. Bingley is just what a young man ought to be. He is handsome, excessively agreeable, danced every dance and lamented when the ball was over, and he has a particular fondness for Jane, which I must give him credit for. "

"He seems to be a very agreeable young man. We shall have to encourage Jane when she comes, she can be so very shy some times!"

"But Jane will not come visit for some time aunt!"

"Did I not tell you? There was an express that came from your mother not a quarter of an hour before you arrived. Apparently with the absence of Mr. Bingley from the neighborhood, your mother deems it necessary for Jane to join us next week!"

"I daresay we should not tell Bingley's sisters, for they will surely carry him off to the continent if they find out she is come!"

"Are they really as bad as you say Lizzy? They are no higher in society than either you or Jane, they still have the stench of fresh money in their blood!"

"You would think that their history would humble the Bingley sisters, but I swear, aunt, that I have never met with anyone in possession of so high an opinion of themselves as Miss Bingley! She is nothing like her brother!"

"That must be a sight indeed! Tell me, is her sister much better?"

"Her sister married Mr. Hurst, a man with no taste, no conversation and a penchant for drinking, cards and slumber. His comes from a long family lineage to be sure, and it is most unfortunate that he married her purely for her money. I daresay that Caroline Hurst's sister had something to do with it. The marriage took some of the stench off of the Bingley trade roots and Louisa's money saved the estate from ruin. Both of which were remarkably convenient for the sisters in question."

"I find it best not to speculate on the negative motives of others Lizzy, for it never leads to anything good.

When Mr. Gardiner returned home, he could not have been happier to be reunited with his favorite niece. Mr. Bingley's family roots were explained and very joyfully received. Mr. Gardiner expressed a very eager interest in making the man's acquaintance, not only for the prospect of renewing an old family friendship but for meeting the potential suitor of his angelic niece.


	10. Chapter 10

Mrs. Collins' Debut

**Chapter 10**

_**Longbourn**_

To say that the Bennet household was in an uproar would be a gross understatement. Spontaneous shrieks of joy were known to be heard in the surrounding countryside as Mrs. Bennet was quite overwhelmed at the family's good fortune. Jane rejoiced as the responsibility of marrying for family security was lifted from her shoulders. Mary's engagement served to prove to her what she already knew-she liked Bingley not for his convenience and the security that a marriage to him would bring, but for his genuine good nature.

Mary readily accepted her time in the spotlight. After living under the shadows of her beautiful, intelligent, silly, and flirtatious sisters she was final having a debut of her own. As Lizzy was not at home to keep Mr. Bennet company, Mary often found herself in his library when Mr. Collins did not require her attention.

"I must congratulate you, my child, on securing a life for yourself. I know you have always wanted to be a parson's wife, and your mother will celebrate your marriage until her last day."

Mary, not knowing how to accept the compliment, merely smiled and went back to her study of Fourdyce.

Kitty and Lydia were far less impacted by the recent engagements than their other family members. They sat for their mother for hours into evening discussing their bridesmaids dresses-their color, lace and cut. It was decided that they should go to London to have the dresses made up for the very latest style. Mr. Bennet declared they would only go once all of the legal marriage documents had been drawn up by his solicitor and satisfied all parties involved. Mary would occasionally make the mistake of intruding on one of Mrs. Bennet's planning marathons, and would be subjected to much fuss over what the cut of the gown should be, her shoes, her hair, her gloves, not to mention her trousseau. It was all a bit overwhelming for scholarly Mary.

As for Mr. Collins, he spent his mornings studying Fourdyce with his beloved, writing the day's events in grave detail to his patroness, and planning the sermons for the ensuing weeks of his return to the parsonage. Engagement suited him quite well, for being the proud man that he was, his securing a young lady's hand was just another jewel in his earthly crown.

Kitty and Lydia made Mary swear that she would host them once she was married, for surely Lady Catherine would attract a great number of eligible rich men. And with the estate now safely secured by her sister, the girls would rise in the eyes of society to securely established females.

_**London**_

On Elizabeth's first day in London, she was taking tea with her aunt when there was a loud knock at the door. Not a moment later, the maid ushered Mr. Bingley into the room.

"Mr. Bingley, what a pleasure to see you this morning!"

"Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Elizabeth" Bingley said with a bow, "the pleasure is all mine! I do hope I did not interrupt."

"No not at all! My niece has just been filling me in on all of the Hertfordshire news, and it sounds as though you have added a great deal to it! Perhaps you would care to add in your perspective to it."

Mr. Bingley blushed "I am sure Miss Elizabeth has given a most accurate account of events. She is a most devoted story teller."

Elizabeth smiled at his good humor, and congratulated herself on such a wonderful soon-to-be brother-in-law.

"Would you care for tea?"

"Thank you, madam that would be wonderful."

Mr. Bingley sat next to Mrs. Gardiner on a richly upholstered mahogany chair with Lizzy across from him on a Settee.

"So Mr. Bingley, have you begun your business with your steward?"

"I will begin this afternoon, it cannot be finished too soon for my taste!"

"How long do anticipate being in London?"

"That, I do not know Miss Elizabeth. At least until the end of next week I should imagine."

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Mrs. Gardiner "Jane is to join us in two days time, and you shall be here to come to the theater with us!"

Bingley had the expression of a child told he may have an entire cake to himself.

"Miss Bennet? Cc-come to London?" He looked at Lizzy with wide eyes.

"I am afraid that she can stand Mr. Collins no longer!" Lizzy responded with mirth

"Then I must thank Mr. Collins for his great service to us all!"

"Shall I make arrangements for a box next Monday evening?" Mrs. Gardiner interjected to the obviously love-sick, joy-stricken Bingley

"Yes! What a grand occasion it shall be! May I come and deliver the Miss Bennets myself?"

"I believe Jane and I should be honored Mr. Bingley"

"What about Mr. Darcy and his sister? Did he not express interest in going as well?" Mrs. Gardiner had an inkling that Mr. Darcy had more feelings for Elizabeth than she was willing to admit.

"Shall we send a footman to Darcy House? I am afraid, Mrs. Gardiner, that I shall have to enlist your help to scribble the missive. I am known for writing illegible notes to Darcy whenever my excitement overtakes me."

Mrs. Gardiner's eyes filled with laughter and a smile graced her lips. She made her way to the desk and scribbled an invitation. Not half an hour later, the footman returned with a favorable response.

"Does Jane favor Shakespeare, Miss Elizabeth?"

"She more favors the experience of the theater, Mr. Bingley. She has read them all, and enjoys them for a time but has never been known to reread his work. However she enjoys herself very much at the theater for the experience of the costumes and music. She still talks of them weeks later!"

"That is exactly how I feel, Miss Bennet! I always seem to be doing something and never able to revisit the works that I read when I was yet in school."

Mrs. Gardiner dispatched a note to secure the box, and arrangements were made to meet for dinner at the Gardiner home before attending the event. When a footman returned later that evening with the tickets, another note was dispatched to Darcy house to appraise the siblings of the plans for Monday evening.


	11. Chapter 11

Thank you for all of the Story Alerts and charming reviews. I am looking forward to the theater as well, forgive me for drawing it out.

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**Chapter 11**

_**London**_

The day after Bingley's visit to the Gardiner House, the establishment was graced by the presence of another member of the ton. Mrs. Gardiner's invitation the theater included Miss Darcy, and as it would be very awkward for a perfect stranger to impose herself on the hospitality of others, Mr. Darcy felt it incumbent upon him to introduce his sister to Mrs. Gardiner and her niece.

Georgiana had read and reread her brother's letters from Hertfordshire. She was sure that he had feelings for Miss Elizabeth, for he had never mentioned any young lady of his acquaintance in one of his letters without contempt. He had also informed her of the unfortunate status of the family's place in society and the unfortunate behavior of the other family members.

When Georgiana alighted from the carriage, she was struck by the handsomeness of the home. It was nothing like she had pictured it; it was clearly kept by an affluent family with an abundance of good taste. The inside of the home only confirmed her earlier assessment-Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were people with impeccable taste. The rich draperies, marble floors and beautiful mahogany wood work were quite like the ones found at Darcy Place. She glanced quizzically at her brother, for this is not at all the picture of the relations he had painted in his letter from Hertfordshire.

A footman ushered the Darcy siblings into the front sitting room.

"Mr. Darcy" addressed Mrs. Gardiner after the initial bows had been taken "what a pleasure to see you!"

"Mrs. Gardiner, please allow me to introduce to you my sister Georgiana. Georgie, this is Mrs. Gardiner and her niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet."

Mrs. Gardiner was a very astute woman, and from the moment she set eyes upon Georgiana she knew her to be a shy girl. She used everything in her power to put the poor girl at ease.

"Miss Darcy, what a pleasure! Do join us for tea!" Georgiana took a chair next to Elizabeth, and Darcy sat on the other side of Georgiana.

"You are from Derbyshire, are you not Miss Darcy?"

"Yes I am, our estate is very close to Lambton."

"I know those parts very well! I was raised in Lambton" Mrs. Gardiner exclaimed with great warmth. "Tell me, is dear Mrs. Smith still running the book store in town? It has been so long since I have last been there!"

The book store caught Darcy's attention. "Mrs. Gardiner, she runs the book store to this day. It is a particular favorite of mine, I often went there with my father in my early years."

"What a delightful place it is. I am so pleased to hear that she is able to continue to run the place, she must be getting quite elderly."

"I am afraid she is, she might not be able to keep the place open for much longer. Perhaps a year or two, then one of her children will surely take over."

Elizabeth too recognized Georgiana's discomfort and decided to try her hand at drawing the young girl into conversation.

"Miss Darcy, your brother tells me that you are quite diligent at your music studies. Have you been studying with a teacher here in London?"

With a glance of encouragement from her brother, Georgiana smiled and replied "my brother does spoil me, Miss Bennet, with a wonderful teacher. We have found that it is not so much the talent of the individual, but the quality of teacher that creates a successful music student."

"I believe that to be very wise, Miss Darcy. Have you been with your teacher for very long?"

"The past two years, Miss Bennet. Master Capelliano moved to London from Rome three years ago, and Fitzwilliam happened to take me to one of his very first concerts in London. We were so impressed with his playing, that my brother asked him to give me a lesson. Our temperaments matched so well that I have studied with him ever since."

"That name sounds very familiar. Does he travel very much for his performing?"

"Why yes, he left for Hertfordshire not two days before Fitzwilliam did."

"Then I do believe that my sister Mary attended his concert with my father. Mary has a very admirable dedication to the piano, but I am afraid that in our country village there is not much choice in instruction."

"Then she must come to London and have a lesson with Master Capelliano! I would be happy to arrange it!"

"That is very kind of you Miss Darcy, I am sure Mary would be most indebted to you if she ever came to visit."

Darcy blinked several times to make sure he had heard his sister correctly. Did she just offer the sister of someone she had never met a lesson with her most beloved teacher? She must be feeling particularly comfortable with Elizabeth to ever think of such a thing.

After staying for tea and a while more, the Darcy siblings made their leave with no doubt of a firm friendship developing between the Gardiner and Darcy households. Georgiana had even invited Elizabeth to call on her the next day for a walk.

After entering into their carriage, Georgiana decided to get her opinions out before her brother had a chance to change his earlier statements.

"Brother, I do not understand. From your letters I had anticipated a social climbing, silly traders wife in an average cheapside house with no decent conversation. But I find myself very pleasantly wrong, for I find Mrs. Gardiner to be a dear woman with impeccable taste and a very good standing in society. And her Miss Elizabeth was wonderful. I do hope you will allow me to come back to visit them!"

"Of course my dear. I was rather surprised myself at Mrs. Gardiner's manner, for her Elizabeth's mother is nothing like Elizabeth's aunt. And it would greatly please me if you felt comfortable calling again on Miss Bennet. She is a very intelligent young lady with whom you would do very well to befriend."

"I cannot wait for the play on Monday Fitz!"

"Neither can I Georgie, neither can I."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_**Longbourn**_

"Remember Jane," her mother prodded, "you must call upon his sisters. He is bound to be home at some point when you visit them, and then he will discover you are there!"

Jane responded obediently. Truth be told, Jane had been crushed by the letter that Caroline Bingley had left her. If the letter held any truth to it, surely Charles was very close to an engagement with Georgiana Darcy by now. She could not just waltz into London and break off an engagement. But she was dutiful daughter, and right now that meant going to chase the man whom she had believed to be in love with her.

The whole journey to London was terribly dreadful for Jane. She contemplated the relief that it was to her that Mary was engaged to the heir of their father's estate. Jane was now free to marry without an obligation to secure the livelihood of her sisters. Even still, she found her heart longing for the kind man with the bouncing red curls and emerald eyes.

When Jane arrived at the Gardiner's house in London, she was shown into the drawing room. There, in her very own aunt's home, sat Mr. Charles Bingley-or at least he was sitting until he heard her name come out of the butler's mouth, he then performed as dignified a leap from his seat as he could muster. Jane curtseyed, and Mr. Bingley performed a very deep bow. Clearly at a loss for words, Jane allowed her aunt to take charge of the situation.

"My dear, how wonderful you have arrived! Mr. Bingley has just come for tea!"

"Yes, how good to see you Mr. Bingley"

"The pleasure is all mine Miss Bennet. I trust your journey was well?"

Jane laughed at the incredible irony of the agony of her journey. Here was the man she had agonized over for the past five hours of the insufferable journey to London. Sweet Jane was never known to lie, but she would never reveal the true nature of her feelings from the trek.

"It was very pleasant, Mr. Bingley, thank you. If you all will excuse me, I would like to freshen up before I join you for tea."

"Of course my dear" Mrs. Gardiner responded with all of the warmth of a mother, "Betsy will help you with your things"

Elizabeth rose from her seat "excuse me aunt, I am going to help Jane get settled"

Mr. Gardiner, who had concluded his business early that day with the express purpose of conversing with this famed Mr. Bingley, had been reciting tales of Bingley's predecessors with great enthusiasm.

"Ahh, where was I? Oh yes, Bingley, your grandfather and his clock collection! Ha! What a character he was! There was not a clock brought off of the ships that was not personally inspected by good old Edward! He was determined to become the greatest collector in all of England!"

Bingley was clearly distracted, and rightly so. It was just as one in love ought to behave mused Mrs. Gardiner, for he was clearly besotted with Jane if the look on his face when she entered the room was any indication.

Lizzy climbed the stairs two at a time to reach her sister's bedchamber. Upon entering, she was greeted with gowns strewn all over the room.

"Lizzy, I have nothing to wear! No one told me he would come visit us! How does he even know where our aunt and uncle live?"

"Calm yourself Jane, this pink gown shall do. Here, let me help you."

"I don't understand. His sister said that he was to town to see Georgiana Darcy, not to come to Edward and Susan Gardiner on Gracechurch street!"

"It is a long story Jane. I met up with the Bingleys and Mr. Darcy on my way to London, and they personally delivered me here. He then knew my whereabouts and has been to call every day since."

"What? Delivered you here? I do not understand Lizzy. You were to take the coach!"

"Well, I didn't. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy insisted upon seeing me to our aunt and uncle themselves."

"That was very kind of them. And he has come to call every day?"

"Yes, Jane. And Mr. Darcy has even called with his sister."

"Mr. Darcy? But you said he did want anything to do with you!"

"That is precisely what I thought Jane. But after spending several hours alone with he and Mr. Bingley, I find my opinion of him quite altered."

"Altered? You shall have to tell me later, we cannot keep Mr. Bingley waiting any longer."

Upon re-entering the drawing room, Jane found her uncle in fast conversation with Mr. Bingley. The sight brought the first genuine smile to her lips since the ball at Netherfield the week previous.

"Ah Jane, come at last! It is so good to see you my dear!" Edward Gardiner kissed Jane's cheek and relinquished his seat next to the illustrious Mr. Bingley.

Jane blushed at her uncle's knowledge of her feelings for the young gentleman

"Miss Bennet, your aunt has been so kind as to invite me to attend the theater with you all on Monday! I have been all eagerness since she issued the invitation"

"That sounds wonderful aunt! What are we to see?"

"Shakespeare my dear, I hope you will like it."

"I am sure it will be delightful! I am so glad you will be joining us Mr. Bingley!"

"So am I Miss Bennet! Mr. Darcy and his sister have also been included in the invitation"

"Really? Is that so?" Jane shot a quizzical glance at Elizabeth

"Yes!" Mrs. Gardiner proclaimed "Mr. Darcy brought his sister yesterday morning for tea and she is a most delightful girl!"

"Not at all how I had imagined her, Jane. She is quite shy, like her brother, and not yet out." Elizabeth offered

"Really?" Jane exclaimed with wide-eyed amazement "that is not at all how I had imagined her"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_**London**_

"I must not forget! I have news from Hertfordshire!" cried Jane. The room turned silent. "Mary is engaged!"

"Engaged!" cried Mr. Bingley "why that is wonderful! To whom?"

"To Mr. William Collins, our cousin. Mary has always wanted to be a parson's wife."

"How wonderful! I do hope she shall be happy." exclaimed Mrs. Gardiner

"And he is to inherit the estate, is he not?"

"Yes uncle, because it passes directly to him and not us poor females" countered Lizzy

"What a pleasing situation for you all! Not only shall you gain a brother, but your sister shall be mistress of your father's estate!" Bingley exclaimed in his jovial manner

"Yes, precisely" Jane replied to her beloved "they are to be married in a months time, then Kitty and Lydia are set on visiting Rosings Park not a month after."

"Is your mother quite alright planning such an event with out her eldest daughters home to help?" Bingley asked in all innocence.

A general chuckle was his answer from those gathered in the drawing room

"You clearly underestimate my sister, Mr. Bingley. Her planning skills are positively occult." Mr. Gardiner finished off his speech with a hearty laugh"

"My mother wishes for Lizzy and I to have our bridesmaids gowns drawn up in London, aunt. Perhaps you would know where it should be done?"

"Oh yes my dear, and we must use your uncle's fabric. No, no we insist upon it! But we can discuss all of the details another time."

Mr. Bingley stayed for quite some time-tea, dinner, port, music- before Jane's yawn alerted them both that it was high time he quite the house. He left with good tidings, and the promise of tomorrow's theater engagement.

When Elizabeth and Jane retired for the night, they finally had a chance to answer each other's questions about their respective in London and Longbourn

"Lizzy, how on earth did you come across Charles on the way to London?"

"The carriage dropped me off at the Inn where the coach comes on its route to London. I was waiting in the entry way to be seated for a meal before the coach came and Mr. Bingley walked in at that very moment. He was shocked me to see me Jane, and seemed genuinely relieved. He absolutely insisted I join them for lunch."

"And his sisters were pleased to see you?"

"Jane, you never think ill of anyone. His sisters were most put out when they came in to find Mr. Bingley standing with me in the foyer. Mr. Darcy was most kind, he escorted me to the dining room and seated me between himself and Mr. Bingley. I excused myself from the meal to catch the coach, but Mr. Bingley and his friend would not hear of it. So I rode in the Darcy carriage with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy, and Louisa, Caroline and Mr. Hurst rode in the Bingley carriage. It was a lovely trip. I believed we all three needed some time with each other to form our own opinions of each other without the interruption of Miss Bingley or our mother. "

"And what did you discover?"

"Well, if you must know, Mr. Darcy is much pleasanter without the company of Miss Bingley, Mr. Bingley is just as jovial and even tempered as we presumed him to be, and that I do believe I have misjudged Mr. Darcy."

"I do so hope he is not the proud and disagreeable man that you make him to be, Lizzy. I do not know how he and Charles would be so close if he was not a good man."

"I daresay were right about him Jane, and by all means parade your good judgement before me. I fear I judged him most cruelly. If I were hunted like meat as he is by Miss Bingley I too might be disposed to being short tempered."

"I don't suppose Caroline means any harm in her attentions"

"No harm to herself, but it is very clear that it annoys Mr. Darcy exceedingly. Her attentions to his sister also seem to be very unwanted. He speaks of Georgiana with such tenderness, and admits to being no help to her shyness. "

"And you met Miss Darcy?"

"Yes! Would you believe it Jane, Mr. Darcy brought her to call upon us for tea."

"That was very kind of him. He hardly runs in the same circles as our aunt and uncle"

"Exceedingly kind, and his sister invited me to call upon her. Mr. Darcy was very supportive of his sister befriending me-he believes that she needs to be encouraged to come out of her shyness."

"Then he is a very wise man"

"Indeed Jane, I believe he is."

"And Mr. Bingley is related to Mr. Gardiner's business?"

"Isn't that extraordinary? Mr. Bingley's grandfather made his fortune trading through our uncle's father's trading business. Apparently our uncle knew Mr. Bingley's father, and both of have been very pleased to renew the friendship between the Bingley and Gardiner households."

"Has anyone told his sisters?"

"I don't believe so. But I would love to be there when he does!"

"Lizzy that is cruel! They cannot help that their money came from trade"

"No, but they would do well to remember it."

"Perhaps. Do you think Mr. Bingley fancies Miss Darcy?"

Elizabeth laughed "In Miss Bingley's mind he does! I believe she is the only creature on the planet that thinks so! He speaks of her as more of a young girl, which she is. She is not yet seventeen Jane! She is not to be out for another few years!"

"I find it hard to believe that Miss Bingley could be so easily mislead"

"Jane, believe me. Miss Darcy is no concern of yours. What news from home?"

"Well, mama is pleased as punch to have her very own daughter inherit the estate. She may no longer complain about being thrown into the hedgerows"

"Yes, and papa will now be able to come out of his library. And you, Jane, may marry whomever you wish!"

"I have thought of it Lizzy"

"Does the engagement change your opinion of Mr. Bingley?"

"Not at all, if anything it has renewed confidence in my regard for him. For if I do marry him, it will not be for security for my family. It would be my decision for my own happiness."

"Could he make you happy?"

"I would be privileged to Mr. Bingley's wife. He would make an excellent father, and he is so very joyful there would always be merriment in the house."

"I do believe you have met your match for sweetness Jane, for a more jovial, kind-hearted gentlemen would be very hard to find"

"But the engagement does not change my fortune, and I know that Mr. Bingley's family has high expectations of him marrying well in that regard."

"What is fortune to happiness?"

"I agree with you Lizzy, but I know that much of the world does not"

"Jane you must encourage him. He cannot hold any doubt in his mind that you return his affection if you want to secure him. I tried to communicate to he and Mr. Darcy that you are of a shy nature in hopes that he would never view your behavior as uninterested, but it is better to be safe than sorry."

"Perhaps so, but it is certainly not in my nature to display my feelings so openly"

"Maybe not Jane, but I believe if you would like a happy ending to your life you must try"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_**London**_

At Miss Darcy's insistence, Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner and Jane made their way to Darcy house Monday morning for tea. They found Miss Darcy at her instrument as they were shown into the music room.

"Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth!" The young girl exclaimed as she rushed over to greet them

"Miss Darcy, may I present my niece Jane Bennet. Jane this is Miss Georgiana"

"I am so pleased to meet you Miss Bennet"

"And I you, Miss Darcy. Elizabeth and my aunt have told me so much about you"

Georgiana blushed at the compliment

"Let me call for tea"

"Thank you my dear" Mrs. Gardiner said with a nod of appreciation

"How was your journey to London Miss Bennet?"

"It was good, thank you."

"Do you play duets Miss Elizabeth"

"Only when forced Miss Darcy"

"Mrs. Gardiner, you must force her!" the girl cried with delight. She led Elizabeth over to the piano and placed a new piece of music on the stand.

"Do you like Beethoven, Miss Bennet?"

"In moderation, I am not particularly accomplished at the piano so I do tend to avoid the harder sonatas"

"They are lovely pieces of work, my brother just bought me these duets."

"That was very kind of him"

"Yes, he is the kindest of men. He thought perhaps we would enjoy playing them together."

Now it was Elizabeth's turn to blush at the compliment.

"My brother, Miss Elizabeth, regretted very much that he had business this morning. He hopes that perhaps we would favor him with one of the duets when he returns"

"I believe your brother grossly overestimated my ability! Let me see here...G, C, ..."

Elizabeth plucked out the harmony line of the piece in its entirety, Georgiana joining in when Elizabeth started back at the beginning again. After the girls had fumbled their way through the piece together, they were met with thunderous applause.

"What a beautiful instrument Miss Darcy!"

"Thank you Miss Bennet, my brother gave it to me for my birthday. I do hope that I play well enough to deserve it someday"

"I think you play beautiful! Such an instrument is very fortunate to be in such worthy and careful hands" Elizabeth stated with a smile

By the time Georgiana and Elizabeth had put the piece together, the maid brought tea and cakes for the party.

"Are you looking forward to the theater tonight Miss Darcy?"

"Oh yes! I love the theater, but I do not get to go very often, only when Fitzwilliam takes me. Do you like Shakespeare Miss Bennet?"

"Yes I do, but I have not read this particular work before. Are you well acquainted with it?"

"I have just been studying it with Mrs. Ansley, my companion. We have determined to read through the works before we see them on the stage"

"That is a very wise choice. A book is never the same once I have clouded my mind with images from the theater. It is much better to form an opinion first" concluded Elizabeth

"Are you often at Pemberley?"

"Mrs. Gardiner I am there as much as I can be. My piano instructor is in London, so I must stay for most of the year. Usually my brother and I travel to Derbyshire for the summers"

"My husband and I have decided to go on a journey to the peaks this summer, it is such a spectacular sight"

"But that is not twenty miles from Pemberley! You must come and stay with us! I am sure my brother would insist upon it if he was here"

Just then the man in question entered the room. He bowed and walked towards his sister.

"Brother, Mrs. Gardiner just informed me that she and Mr. Gardiner are journeying to the Peak District this summer."

"You must come to Pemberley then, we are not twenty miles away."

"That is most kind of you Mr. Darcy, but I would not want to trespass on your summer with your sister."

"No, it would be our delight. You must stay with us. Does your husband care much for fishing?"

"Yes, very much so"

"Excellent! We have a very well stocked lake, it would be a pleasure to have company while waiting for a bite"

"And Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth must come too!" exclaimed Georgiana

"That is very kind of you Georgiana, but I would not want to trespass on my aunt and uncle's time"

"Oh no Lizzy, your uncle and I were going to invite you and Jane to come with us tomorrow night"

"Then it is all settled" Darcy stated in his authoritative voice "we shall make up a party this summer for the Peak"

Darcy took a cup of tea and headed for the chair near Elizabeth.

"Miss Elizabeth, did my sister happen to share her music with you?"

"She did indeed Mr. Darcy. It was so kind of you to pick something for us to play together"

"It is good for her to have friends to enjoy the music with her. She would far rather play duets than talk of hats and lace, and I confess that I rather encourage that. Perhaps you could recommend some books for her?"

"I would be glad to, although I am not sure that she would care for my taste in reading"

"As long as you do not spend your days reading Fourdyce, I am sure that Georgie could benefit from your suggestions" he chuckled

"I do enjoy the greek philosophers, would she take any interest in such a thing?"

"Perhaps not, but I certainly do. What have you read?"

"Oedipus Rex was an oddity, the Illiad and the Odyssey were the suggestion of my father, but my recommendation would be Dante. It always leads to intriguing conversation, and is that not the goal of reading? To improve our minds and cause conversation?"

"You are absolutely correct. Have you read the famed Byron?"

"How would I form an opinion without it? His work has caused quite the stir"

"Indeed it has. I quite enjoy his work, myself"


	15. Chapter 15

So sorry to leave you all in the middle of some dialogue in the last chapter! I have been traveling for conservatory auditions this month, and the last chapter was written while I was waiting to board the plane. Please continue to leave your comments, I really enjoy your input!

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**Chapter 15**

_**London**_

Monday evening made its appearance with all of the benefit of anticipation. The girls had spent the afternoon with their aunt preparing for the theater, and processing that morning's tea at Darcy place.

"Lizzy I find Miss Darcy delightful! She is certainly a very talented young girl"

"I told you she was no competition Jane."

"Why would Caroline write such a thing?"

"To put herself into Mr. Darcy's pathway. She has set her cap on him for quite some time"

"But Charles would never court, let alone marry a girl not yet out!"

"I think she was trying to cut off any hope of Mr. Bingley returning your affections. Trade was so recently in their blood that she wants her brother to marry for status to throw herself in the way of more prestigious gentlemen."

"But what sister would sacrifice the happiness of a brother just to improve her standing for marriage?"

"I think you already know the answer to that Jane"

The door opened to admit one of the Gardiner's maids "Mrs. Gardiner has requested that you join her in the drawing room miss"

"Thank you Betsy" Jane replied. The girl bobbed a curtsey and left the room.

The girls found Mrs. Gardiner finishing a letter in the drawing room

"There you are my dears! What beautiful nieces I have! I have arranged the seating to what will hopefully be your satisfaction"

Elizabeth took the proffered piece of paper and studied the names. Mr. Gardiner at the head of the table with his wife to the left. Bingley was placed next to Mrs. Gardiner, and Jane to his left. To Mr. Gardiner's right sat Mr. Darcy, followed by Elizabeth and then Georgiana. Elizabeth was very pleased with her placement, and hoped that it would find ample opportunity to engage both of the Darcy siblings in conversation.

"You have out done yourself as usual aunt, I could not have come up with a better setting myself."

"My only concern is that" here she placed a sly glance in Jane's direction "one of my dinner partners will forget my existence in place for the lady to his left!"

Elizabeth and her aunt laughed heartily at this jest on Mr. Bingley

Mr. Bingley arrived first to the Gardiner House, and truth be told he had to pace many a time in his room to prevent himself from being unceremoniously early. He bowed to all of the parties present, but made a bee line to the seat next to Jane. Mr. and Miss Darcy were greeted with smiles and good cheer, and they all adjourned to the dining room for their meal. The guests could not have been more pleased with the arrangement. Bingley hovered around his angel, and the Darcy siblings relished Elizabeth's company. Especially Mr. Darcy, who's hand might have bumped Elizabeth's a few times throughout the meal.

Everyone exclaimed on the deliciousness of the meal, and the joyous expectation of the evening to come. Because the Gardiners had procured the tickets and hosted dinner, Bingley and Darcy insisted upon taking their carriages. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner went with Bingley and Jane, leaving Elizabeth with Darcy and Georgiana.

Inside the carriage, Georgiana made her enjoyment of the evening known.

"Miss Elizabeth, you have the most wonderful aunt and uncle! They are so delightful!"

"Thank you Miss Darcy, I am very lucky."

"You resemble your aunt very much" Darcy said with a sincere and penetrating expression in his eyes

"That is a great compliment Mr. Darcy, I thank you."

"Do you often go shopping with her when you come to town?" Georgiana chirped

"Yes, in fact we are going tomorrow. Would you care to join us Miss Darcy?"

Georgiana's eyes went wide and a smile graced her mouth. She looked to her brother for affirmation, and with a nod of his head she readily accepted the offer.

When the carriage pulled up to the theater, Darcy got out and offered his hand to his sister. Then he helped Elizabeth from the carriage, placing her hand on his arm as she reached the ground. He offered his other arm to Georgiana and the threesome made their way to the Bingley party that had just exited the other carriage.

"Upon my word Mr. Darcy, I daresay you will be the envy of the theater with such beautiful women on your arms!"

"I could not agree more sir! I have the most beautiful ladies in England as my escorts tonight!"

The girls blushed from the attention. Jane and Bingley were still in a world all to themselves, and Mrs. Gardiner rolled her eyes at them.

Just as the party made their way in to the lobby of the building, a ball of tall, red hair adorned with a ridiculous amount of peacock feathers was seen coming towards them. Mr. Bingley froze and looked like a guilty child.

"Charles! What in heaven's name are you doing here!"

"Caroline, I am here with my friends"

"Mr. Darcy, Miss Darcy! What a pleasure to see you!" she gushed. Georgiana had withdrawn into the timid and quiet girl Elizabeth had briefly witnessed before their formal introduction.

"And you have the Bennets with you! How charming" Caroline hissed with a forced smile "I did not know you had come to London Miss Bennet. In fact, I had no knowledge that you ever left your home in Hertfordshire!"

"I arrived just yesterday Miss Bingley"

"Ahh, how nice."

Clearly ignoring the older couple of the party, Elizabeth decided to take full advantage of this moment to introduce the relations that Caroline had so demeaned while she was nursing Jane at Netherfield.

"Miss Bingley, allow me to present my aunt and uncle, Madeline and Edward Gardiner. Aunt, uncle, this is Miss Bingley-Mr. Bingley's charming sister"

With barely a sniff of acknowledgement, she turned to Mr. Gardiner "So you reside in Cheapside?"

"Yes we do Miss Bingley. I must inform you, I had the great pleasure of knowing your father and your grandfather-most exceptional men."

She turned a rather amusing shade of purple

"And how is it that you came to know my relatives?"

"Your father and I were partners in trading. He made his fortune through my company. We were very close friends, it is such a pleasure to make the acquaintance of his children."

"Partners! In trading?" She spat in disgust

"Why yes, that is typically how one makes one's money when not born into gentry" Elizabeth offered.

Darcy could no longer suppress his amusement and allowed a low chuckle to escape his lips-which he covered as a cough as all good gentleman do.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

_**London**_

"But, but you you live in Cheapside!"

"Yes we do Miss Bingley, on Gracechurch street" Mrs. Gardiner offered, clearly amused at the woman's bewilderment

"But you made a fortune with my father!"

"Yes, we have been very fortunate in our dealings" said Mr. Gardiner

"Well, we best be getting to our seats" Mr. Bingley interjected

"Ah yes, Charles. It was so kind of you to include Charles in your invitation Mr. Darcy"

"Actually it is Mrs. Gardiner whom we owe the pleasure of the theater to tonight Miss Bingley"

There Caroline stood, mouth agape while Darcy offered his arm to Elizabeth and Georgiana. The threesome made their way to the Gardiner box, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Jane and Bingley in tow.

The three ladies lined the front of the box, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner with Darcy and Bingley in the back row.

The first half of the play passed with much enjoyment by the whole Gardiner party. Darcy not only enjoyed the quality of the performance, but also the view of Elizabeth and Georgiana sitting together, whispering to each other throughout the performance. At intermission, the group made their way to the refreshments for the patrons. Mr. Darcy was with Elizabeth and Georgiana, and could not help but revisit the events preceding the performance.

"I think Miss Bingley was quite shocked by your uncle's news, Miss Elizabeth"

Elizabeth laughed with a sparkle of triumph in her eyes

"Yes, my poor Cheapside relations indeed!"

"I have never seen Miss Bingley speechless before in my life" Georgiana offered

"I admit I rather wish I could witness her in that state more often" Darcy chuckled in a whisper, just loud enough for Elizabeth to hear. Her eyes twinkled with mischief

"Mr. Darcy you should beware, someone might think you terribly ungenerous!"

"You are quite right Miss Bennet, but I cannot say that I am sorry for my comment." He gave her a brilliant smile

Georgiana looked from brother to friend and smiled, there really was something going on between them.

The end of the play brought much applause, and smiles from the whole party. They then adjourned to the Gardiner home. Coffee, tea and cakes were served to all of the theater goers, and the event was discussed in great detail. The costumes were declared to be of the highest quality, the acting declared superb. The chance encounter with Caroline not mentioned, all parted in high spirits. Georgiana agreed to venture out for a shopping trip with the Bennets the next day, and the entire party was invited to Darcy House for dinner Wednesday evening.

Charles Bingley reluctantly made his way back to his home in London, praying he could avoid his sisters. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, he had no such luck. As he opened the door, he was confronted by a fuming red head woman in his entry way.

"How dare those Bennets come to London! How dare they!" Caroline screeched "I specifically told them when we left that you were destined for Georgiana, and that we should never cross paths again"

"You said what?"

"The whole reason we left that godforsaken place was to get you away from that conniving family!"

"Caroline you cannot be serious!" Charles yelled

"I most certainly am! They have no money and no connections!"

"No connections! Their uncle's business gave you your fortune!"

"But they live in Cheapside!"

"We could ver well live in Cheapside were you not so adamant about living near Darcy!"

"But the their uncle Philips is an attorney!"

"Our relatives live in Scotland!"

Caroline threw up her hands in frustration and stomped up the stairs to her room. Charles made his way to this study for a brandy.


	17. Chapter 17

I am so sorry for the delay for this chapter! I just finished my Juilliard audition, so now I will be able to have the freedom to finish this story. Thanks for sticking with me!

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Caroline Bingley had never been so outraged in her life. Just as she had attempted to remove Charles from that insufferable part of England for the betterment of their family those ridiculous Bennet girls show up and dust off the roots of her fortune. How dare they! She was a member of the ton, or at least close to it. Louisa s marriage had helped her social standing a bit, but nothing could downcast this new development that had been unearthed right in front of Mr. Darcy s eyes. And to make it worse, he had that Bennet girl on his arm while the Bingley name was degraded! Now that Charles had reformed the acquaintance and discovered such a binding friendship there was no turning back. Her only chance of joining the ranks of high society was to marry quickly before news of their connection to trade could be revealed.

Charles Bingley was more than furious with his sister. She must be delusional, he thought, to be able to view herself above her company when she was in fact very much at the same level as the Gardiners. Hopefully she would leave his house hold sooner rather than later so that he would no longer be responsible for her foolish temper.

The Gardiner carriage pulled up to the Darcy house after a leisurely morning of recovery for both parties from the previous evening s festivities. An elegantly attired footman handed the ladies out of the carriage as they came face to face with Darcy Place.

It was a fine home, to be sure. Located in the most fashionable London district it was elegant without being gaudy and maintained to the highest possible standard. The ladies made their way into the house where they were greeted by an impeccably decorated interior. They were shown into the sitting room where they were greeted warmly by Georgiana as she rose from her seat at the piano.

Good Morning! she cried as she bound across the room to hug the Bennet sisters. It is so good to see you!

Miss Darcy, your home is beautiful! cried Jane

Thank you Miss Bennet, I find that they fabrics in the house are particularly fine. They came from a certain warehouse that I believe you all know quite well

Mrs. Gardiner smiled at the compliment

Well, shall we get going ladies? We might be able to make it through a few shops before a stop for tea and sweets

As the carriage made its way through the morning crowd on the London streets, the ladies inside reviewed the previous evening's events

"I was quite taken with the venue! It was so beautifully adorned!" Jane gushed

"It is quite a lavish experience" affirmed her aunt

"The acting was superb. Reading the script simply does not do the story justice" said Elizabeth

"Indeed. And what a shock to find Miss Bingley there!" Georgiana added

A knowing look passed between Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner

"Yes, it was nice to see Miss Bingley again" Jane said in an angelic tone

Elizabeth caughed.

"It seems she was not aware of our relation to her familiy Mrs. Gardiner" said Georgiana

"I am afraid Mr. Bingley seems to have forgotten to inform his sister! But it is no wonder seeing as her reaction to the news was not quite one of utter delight" said Mrs. Gardiner "In all the years that I have known her, she has never mentioned that her family was in trade. I had only heard it from Fitzwilliam. I believe she does not look fondly upon her ancestry, especially since she hopes to marry well."

"From what we witnessed last night Georgiana, I am afraid you are right. Even though I have never met the girl before, it appears as though we spoiled her evening"

"Well none of us can choose our family, so I will just have to forgive Mr. Bingley for his sister"

"Lizzy!" Jane cried "I am sorry Georgiana, I am afraid my sister very often speaks her mind"

"I do not mind at all Jane, it is exactly what I have concluded about Miss Bingley"

The carriage came to a halt in front of a beautiful book shop, and Elizabeth exclaimed her delight at such an adventure. Georgiana and Elizabeth strode into the establish with joint arms and with equal ammounts of excietment. Mrs. Gardiner watched with joy as her niece and new friend joyfully purused the shelves giggling and whispering as if they were born sisters.

Georgiana would be a perfect addition to a perfect match for Lizzy, Mrs. Gardiner thought. It was quite obvious that Georgiana's brother had feelings for Lizzy, and Georgiana was a delightful addition to the courtship process.

Georgiana and Elizabeth returned to Mrs. Gardiner and Jane with huge smiles and a large stack of books. Georgiana insisted on purchsing them for Elizabeth saying that her brother had insisted that she buy gifts for her new friends.

Elizabeth blushed a pretty shade of pink at the kind gesture

Upon exiting the store, the books were given to the coachmen for safe keeping while the ladies continued on their shopping adventures.

Gowns were purchased for upcoming balls in the latest fashions, as Mrs. Gardiner gained access to the highest quality of modeste through Mr. Gardiner's business. Georgiana's regular shops knew the Bennet girls by name, and gushed over how they had grown since they had last been to town. Georgiana was pleasantly surprised.

As the girl's shopping came to a close, they headed to the nearest chocolate shop for a treat before ending their day together. The four ladies were sipping their chocolate when they heard a very familiar voice from behind them...

"Miss Bennet!"

"Mr. Bingley! What a pleasant surprise!"

"Yes indeed! I was just about to get some chocolates to bring to your home. But now you may spare me the trouble of choosing which ones you would like, for you can pick them all yourself!" He breathed a sigh of relief

"That is so kind of you, Mr. Bingley. Please join us!"

Bingley pulled a chair over to Jane's side. After a bit of small talk the group fell silent.

"I am very glad to see you all gathered here this morning because I owe you all, but especially Mrs. Gardiner an apology. My sister Caroline's behaviour towards you, all of you really, was unpardonable. Please accept my deepest apologies."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Mr. Bingley, one cannot choose one's relatives" Elizabeth replied with an arched look and a smile playing on her lips. Georgiana tried to conceal her knowing smile.

"All has been long forgotten, Mr. Bingley" Jane replied sweetly


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Shall we go pick out your chocolates Miss Bennet?" Mr. Bingley stood up and offered his hand to her.

The three ladies remaining at the table smiled in fondness of the picture before them. "They make such a lovely couple!" said Georgiana "her sweetness is the perfect addition to his good nature"

"Yes, I have never seen Jane so taken with anyone as she is with Mr. Bingley." added Elizabeth

"We will have to hope that things turn out for the best" Mrs. Gardiner added

"And that his conniving sister does not intervene!"

"Lizzy! That is most ungenerous!" Mrs. Gardiner reprimanded

"Aunt, her behaviour was so bad that her own brother apologized for it! I hope that he recognizes her schemes before they hatch"

When Jane and Bingley returned with their box of treats, the party made their way to Darcy Place. Not a moment after adjourning to the drawing room, the master himself made an appearance.

"Good morning ladies, Bingley!" he said with one of his rare smiles and an elegant bow. "I trust your morning was successful?"

"Oh yes it was!" cried Georgiana in a sudden burst of enthusiasm "we had a lovely time! We went to the book shop, and we all have gowns for all of the coming London events! And did you know that Mr. Gardiner's business supplies all of my usual shops with their fabric? The material is exquisite brother! Perhaps we ought to ask him what to get for Aunt Sophia's birthday" Georgiana stopped to catch her breath "and then we went to the chocolate shop where we were joined by Mr. Bingley!" she added with a touch of embarrassment at her outburst.

Darcy was all amazement. Was this his shy little sister who had been working to recover from the ill-deed cast upon her by the hands of Wickham? He gave all of the credit for her new found confidence to the brilliant Elizabeth, whom he knew must have encouraged her in forming her own opinions. Of course Jane's sweet nature was sure to nurture Georgiana as well, she would never fear a harsh word from Jane's mouth. And this Aunt Gardiner, she was all grace and elegance just as Darcy's own mother had been.

"I am so glad to hear you had a pleasant time dear!" Darcy said with a tender smile at his sister.

The inhabitants of the room settled themselves into smaller groups for conversation. Jane and Mr. Bingley found comfortable seats near the fire while Elizabeth and Georgiana headed for the piano to explore the new music shipment that had just arrived. Darcy took the seat next to Mrs. Gardiner as she surveyed the scene before her.

"I am deeply indebted to you, Mrs. Gardiner, for your kindness towards my sister. I have not seen her so happy in a very long time"

"It was my pleasure Mr. Darcy! Your sister is a delight. She is all good manners and a gracious spirit, much like your mother"

"You knew our mother?"

"Indeed I did, the late Mrs. Darcy was very involved in the church's efforts to help the poor in Lambton. My own mother took me with her every week to bring food and clothing to the less fortunate in the town. We met with your mother and a few other ladies to put together baskets of fresh bread, vegetables and any meat that could be spared. We all felt your loss most acutely when she passed"

"Thank you madam. I assure you it was a very trying time at Pemberley."

The two sat in the company of their own thoughts on the late Mrs. Darcy. Georgiana and Elizabeth had begun to make their way through a new duet, and both Mr. Darcy and Mrs. Gardiner enjoyed the scene before them.

How wonderful it would be to have Elizabeth replace his mother's position at Pemberley, Darcy mused. Her laughter would fill the rooms and she would win over all of the tenants with her intelligence and kind heart. He could very well picture her attending the weekly distribution meetings at the church, replacing his own mother's much loved position in working for the community.

Mrs. Gardiner thought of how this young man beside her had been so effected by the death of his mother. Her death brought on a premature death for his father, as the two were practically inseparable. After loosing both parents, Darcy had to run the estate at far too young of an age. Georgiana had been left orphaned, and Darcy had stepped up to the task of raising her with love and grace. Mrs. Gardiner watched her niece Elizabeth as she laughed with and encouraged Georgiana on the other side of the room and thought maybe, just maybe, Elizabeth might be able to help fill the spot in Georgiana's life that her own mother had never been able to fill.

_Longbourn_

Mary and Mr. Collins had not been engaged a week before Lady Catherine had called the rector back to his parish. Personally, Mary had not minded for she fully understood and respected the duties of a clergyman. Her mother, however, had different ideas.

"Engaged but five days and he sees fit to return to that grand lady of his! How presumptive! Does he have no concept as to the magnitude of the planning for such an event as this! Surely he must know that he shall have to provide names for the guest list at the very least! And he must obtain your marriage license or there shall be no wedding to speak of!"

"Mama Mr. Collins must attend to his parish. He has already been absent for the past three weeks, and they can hardly spare him for any more. The rector that has been preaching for him on Sunday cannot perform the duties of two men for very long!"

"I just cannot see what you did to drive him away Mary! It is a good thing your engagement has been announced, for now he is fully obligated to go through with it!"

"Mama that is terribly ungenerous to Mr. Collins' character!"

"Well Mary, one day you will look upon this situation as I do and wonder why on earth he ever left you!"


	19. Chapter 19

_Thank you all for your patience with this chapter. I have been writing more for my blog (.com) than I have for fanfiction. All of the stress of the conservatory process brought on a horrible bout of writers block, but I am hoping to get back to regular updates. Thank you for bearing with me!_

_To recap chapter 18:_

_Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth, Jane and Georgiana run in to Mr. Bingley at the chocolate shop, where he and Jane continue getting to know each other. The party then makes their way to Darcy place, and Mr. Darcy discovers that Mrs. Gardiner knew his mother. On the home front, Mr. Collins returns to Kent while Mrs. Bennet berates Mary for allowing him to leave her so soon after the engagement. Mary puts her full trust in the man, and in a moment of bravery attempts to convince her mother that her attitude towards Mr. Collins is ungenerous._

Chapter 19

As Mr. Collins' carriage entered Rosings Park, he instructed his driver to head straight for the home of his patroness. He was shown in to the drawing room immediately, refusing to rest from his journey until he knew first hand of his of the great lady's health.

After bows were exchanged, the great lady exclaimed "Mr. Collins, have you no respect! You have brought the dirt from your journey into my drawing room! Surely you would have thought to change from your travel clothes before coming into my presence!"

Mr. Collins stuttered while staring at his dirt-covered shoes before replying "I wished to assure myself that your ladyship and Miss de Bourgh were in good health."

"I assure you, Mr. Collins, that Anne and I are in the best health possible. I see to it that we eat a very healthy diet, and take a turn about the house each day. Anne rests every afternoon to recover her strength so that she will not fall ill. Really Mr. Collins, you have no need to concern yourself when my health is so meticulously maintained"

"Of course, your ladyship. How foolish of me to think otherwise! I also wished to be the first to inform you of my engagement to Miss Mary Bennet, just as your ladyship recommended."

"My congratulations. When do you wed? Not until easter, I hope. We cannot spare you during the service preparation. It must be in the spring, that is the only time to have a wedding. You must wait until the rain season passes before having a wedding tour, so May would be the time for a wedding."

"I will be sure to include a May date in my next letter to Mr. Bennet, your ladyship."

"Good. I look forward to the parish having a minister's wife to tend to the needs of the people. I do hope you have chosen a young women capable of the tasks expected of her, Mr. Collins"

"Miss Mary is the epitome of a devout young woman, I assure you. She has a deep appreciation for music, and devotes much of her time to the study of her instrument. Miss Mary also holds a very deep regard for the works of Fourdyce, and will surely be an excellent example to the other wives in the parish."

"Very good. Well you must go now, Mr. Collins as it is time for Anne to retire. I bid you good night"

With a brief nod of the head, the grand lady and her daughter left the room.

_London_

After the Gardiner party had left, Darcy and Georgiana headed back to the drawing room to await the dinner hour. Pretending to occupy themselves in reading, they each found their minds straying far from the page...

"Georgie, what would you think of inviting the Miss Bennets and the Gardiners to join us at Pemberley this summer"

"Fitz that would be delightful! I do believe we should invite Mr. Bingley as well. But we must be sure to invite him when his sisters are not in attendance, or else they will surely include themselves in the invitation."

Darcy smiled and raised his eyebrows in question to his sister's last statement. Where had this opinionated mind of hers come from? He had a feeling it stemmed from the friendship with a lady with very fine eyes.

"I do believe you are right, Georgie. Perhaps we should invite Bingley and the Gardiner party to dinner and issue the invitation there."

"Oh yes! That way I can practice hosting a dinner party with nice people!"

"It would be the perfect opportunity for you, Gee. And Mrs. Hallenum is at your disposal. Heaven knows she has organized enough events here that she could run the whole thing herself!"

The siblings fell silent and momentarily returned to their reading. A few minutes later Georgiana looked up and stated to the fireplace "I like Miss Elizabeth. I like her a lot..." Darcy smiled to himself, but continued to stare at his book, thankful that those fine eyes had captured a spirit in his sister that he could never have brought on himself.

_My dear sister Gardiner,_

_How thrilled I am to announce the engagement of my Mary to Mr. William Collins! A daughter married! And Mary to be the first of them-heaven must be smiling down on me, dear sister, for I feared she would die an old maid with her bookish ways! And she will take my place as the Mistress of Longbourn upon poor Mr. Bennet's passing. We are planning to come to London for Mary's wedding clothes, although she insists that it is not necessary. I will have no daughter of mine meeting Lady Catherine in anything that does not befit her situation as the future mistress of this estate. I am so delighted that her wedding will bring the excuse to come visit the shops in London! _

_Have you had the pleasure of meeting Jane's Mr. Bingley while he has been in town? I daresay he could not keep his eyes off of her at the Netherfield ball! He danced the opening, dinner, and closing sets with her! Dear Jane, I knew she could not be so beautiful for nothing! Be sure you take her to any ball that you think Mr. Bingley might be attending, and that she finds the best gowns to highlight her figure. Pale rose befits her complexion very well. And do tell Miss Lizzy to keep her words in check! She shall ruin Jane's chances in London if she goes on as she does on books and impertinent remarks! It is all her father's doing!_

_I shall expect to see you in a month's time, sister. Please write to tell me your plans for June, for the girls tell me nothing! _

_Your sister,_

_Fanny Bennet_


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

To recap chapter 19:

_Mr. Collins arrives back in Kent, and informs Lady Catherine of his engagement. Darcy and Georgiana decided to invite the Gardiners and Mr. Bingley to Pemberley for the summer, and Mrs. Bennet informs Mrs. Gardiner of her plans to come to town to buy wedding clothes for Mary._

**Longbourn**

"Mother, a minister's wife needs no such clothing!"

"But Mary, you shall be the future mistress of this estate, and a gentleman's daughter! You must wear gowns that befit your future situation!"

"I shall not need french silk to plant potatoes in, and I shall not visit the poor in a fur trimmed coat!"

"But what shall you wear to Rosings? I will not have your fiance's patroness believe that you come from a lower situation than you were born into. That would very much hurt your sister's chances of marriage if Lady Catherine should happen to tell people in the first circles that her minister's wife is but a mere peasant!"

"I refuse to concede to your wishes mother, and if you would like to contribute anything to the plans of the wedding, I suggest you cease your demands!"

"Headstrong, foolish child! You have surely agreed with Lizzy upon her time away to vex me!"

"We did no such thing. I shall go to town today to order my trousseau, and to arrange for my wedding gown to be made"

"Well, if you are so adamant about not coming to town I shall accompany you to Meryton to assure myself that you will not be dragging your father's good name through Kent as some lowly farmer!"

Mary let out a huff of frustration as she put on her pelisse. At least her mother would be far more agreeable in Meryton than she would be in town. The bill would be much more to her father's liking as well, as Mrs. Bennet exerted very little restraint when she came across a fine silk in a London shop.

"Kitty, put on your things! We are to town to order Mary's wedding clothes" Mrs. Bennet screeched up the stairs

"Must I come? She will not even want to look at any lace Mama!" Kitty cried from her room

"You will obey me in this Kitty, we need to assure ourselves of your sister's good standing with Lady Catherine. You will thank me later when the great lady improves your marriage prospects!"

Kitty thumped her feet heavily on the stars as she made her way to the landing, not bothering to pick up her trailing skirt.

"Very well, but I should hope that you will at least buy me ribbons for sitting in absolute boredom for the afternoon!"

The Longbourn ladies arrived in Meryton after a mile of constant discussion of Mary's wedding gown. Mrs. Bennet declared it should be made of silk and lace, Mary cried it would be a simple satin. Kitty yawned and told her mother she wanted rosy red for her bridesmaid gown, with a white satin ribbon and pearls for her hair. And perhaps lace gloves. And if she ways to dance at Mary's wedding, she would require new satin dance shoes. All of these items would be a very good investment, Kitty was quick to add, because they could all be worn to Jane's wedding as well. For with Jane in the same town as Mr. Bingley, he could not keep a ring off of her finger for much longer!

The ladies entered the dressmaker's shop with varying degrees of contentment, Mary was disgruntled after her mother's imposing opinions and Mrs. Bennet was annoyed at Mary's defiance of her good sense. Thankfully, the local dress maker, a certain Mrs. Bakely, had always held a sense of loyalty to Mary for the girl's wish for a modest dress. After perusing countless bundles of lace and silk, Mrs. Bakely asked Mrs. Bennet and Kitty to wait in the front room while she took Mary to the back to look at some satin samples. At the second bolt of fabric, Mary exclaimed that it would be the one. The two ladies stayed in the back room for quite some time and decided on the exact design of the dress-a simple A-line, with short puffed sleeves, a modest neckline, and a lovely pattern of ivy embroidered along the hem line.

As the two emerged from the back room, Mrs. Bakely's next appointment had just entered the shop, bringing an end to Mary's appointment. Mrs. Bennet was then ushered out of the shop without a say as to her daughter's dress.

**London**

"Girls, I have the most extraordinary news" Mrs. Gardiner announced as she read through the letter from her sister in law at the breakfast table

"Mary has become engaged to a Mr. Collins"

"How wonderful! Is he not the man that is to inherit the estate" questioned Mr. Gardiner

"Yes he is. But for now he is the rector at Lady Catherine de Bourgh's estate, Rosings Park" Jane answered

"Lizzy, what on earth is that smirk for?" probed her aunt

"well, he is quite ridiculous aunt. He is all stupidity with an air of self-importance."

"I suppose we must look over any misgivings about him now my dear, for one cannot escape from an engagement without becoming tarnished in some way" her uncle replied in a judicious manner.

"Well yes, but I do hope that Mama does not seat me next to him at Christmas!"

"Lizzy, that is terribly ungenerous! I am sure Mary shall be very pleased as a parson's wife. She has always loved studying the theological books, and has never been adversed to a humble lifestyle." Jane added

"I am sure Mama is pleased as punch to not be 'thrown in the hedgerows' as she puts it. Mary may have even surpassed you in favoritism Jane!"

"Your mother also writes to tell us they shall be for London to pick out the wedding clothes."

Mrs. Gardiner's announcement evoked an eyeroll from Lizzy

"...and she also states that I am to take you two to every event possible. Jane, do have a particular fondness for pink gowns?"

"I do not mind them, why?"

"Your mother writes that I am to take you to be fashioned for the latest gowns in rose. I see that she enjoys her matchmaking tendencies even from afar!"

"Well my dear, it appears that luck is on your side! I just received this invitation from Mr. Darcy to join them for dinner tomorrow evening" said Mr. Gardiner

"How generous of them! Such a sweet set of siblings" his wife replied

"What shall I respond to them Madeline?"

"are you girls free tomorrow evening?"

Both Elizabeth and Jane nodded in affirmation

"...then yes, we shall be delighted. I suppose we must go out and have a gown made up for Jane this afternoon so it will be ready before her mother gets here!" Mrs. Gardiner said with a wink


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

_**London**_

"Girls, I received an express from your mother this morning" Mrs. Gardiner announced at the breakfast table. "It seems that Mary has insisted upon buying her clothing in Meryton, and will not be dissuaded. Your mother greatly laments not being able to tour the London shops, but vows that Mary cannot possibly plan the wedding without her supervision."

"It did seem most peculiar that Mary would have agreed to such a trip, it is very like her to be economical in her clothing selection." observed Jane

"Which is a good thing, for Father hates town! He should have locked himself in his library for a week should mama have petitioned him for it!" Lizzy added with a chuckle

"Well, I see no harm in taking you girls out to be fitted for new ball gowns regardless of your mother coming to visit. I received an invitation to the Fitzwilliam family's ball next month, and you both need something quite fine. Lord Fitzwilliam is a business acquaintance of your uncle's, and the uncle of Georgiana and Mr. Darcy"

"It is very kind of them to send an invitation aunt, but are you sure that the invitation extends to Elizabeth and I?"

"Of course it does Jane! Lady Fitzwilliam and I work at the same charity, and she is well aware that you two have come to town. She is most eager to meet you. I daresay Lizzy, you will find her particularly to your liking."

"Is that so aunt"

"Lady Fitzwilliam is one of the most sensible ladies of the ton. She dearly loves to laugh, but has a gracious spirit that is not often found in a lady of her situation."

"I will look forward to meeting her" Lizzy picked some grapes off of the stem, gathering them in her palm, she examined the fruit closely, ate a few pieces and while she was still staring at the plate asked to no one in particular "I wonder if the Darcys shall be there"

"Surely you do not believe that the Fitzwilliams would be so rude as to not invite their own niece and nephew!"

"But Mr. Darcy hates company, and Georgiana is not out yet"

"Then you shall just have to ask them at dinner tonight, Lizzy. Mr. Darcy strikes me as a very loyal fellow, a definite family man, and as such I sincerely doubt that he would not honor his aunt and uncle with his attendance. As for Georgiana, the event is being held by her own family, so I daresay her attendance shall be left up to the discretion of she and her brother. "

"Do Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam have any children of their own" Jane asked

"They do. Their eldest, Abigail, is married to Lord James Highton whose own good father passed away this past year, leaving Highclare Castle in Newbury to James and Abigail to raise their three children in. Robert is married to the Duke of Coventry's daughter Emma, and they have four children. Robert is to inherit the estate. Their youngest, Richard, is a colonel in His Majesty's army and is not yet married. Since he is the younger son, he will most likely have to marry a lady of some fortune. Unfortunately, finding such a lady proves to be a most difficult task."

"That is quite an imposing legacy aunt" declared Jane

"You would never know it if you were to meet Lady Fitzwilliam outside of her circle Jane. She is extraordinarily gracious, with a keen sense of humor and a fierce love of her husband. Theirs was most definitely a love match"

"How refreshing!" cried Jane

"Indeed my dear. And I dare say that it shows in her children. They are all wonderful people, with no sense of self-importance at all. Your uncle and I have dined with the family on numerous occasions, and they have all been very welcoming of our friendship. Robert and Lord Fitzwilliam very much respect my husband, and often keep him to themselves in the study after our meal to gain his insight into their investments."

"I am very eager to meet them at their ball aunt! Do you think that there might be friendship to be found with Lady Highton?"

"Of course! Abigail is all sweetness and gentility with a keen sense of discernment. Although she is not nearly as witty as her mother, she still possesses a dear love of laughter and merriment. She is seldom in town now that she and her husband have their estate in the country, but you should take advantage of whatever time you can spend with her Jane. She would be a very good friend to you and Elizabeth"

"And Robert's wife Emma? Has she adopted the Fitzwilliam affability upon her union with Robert"

"The reason Robert and Emma were first attracted to each other was that the were the only two people who cared not about their own importance among the ton. It was a blessing to each that they happened to both come out into society the same year, otherwise they would have had a very challenging time finding another member of the ton who shares their views on life and the dignity of all people. Lord and Lady Fitzwilliam, along with the Duke and Duchess of Coventry made it very clear to their children that they were by no means superior to the rest of society regardless of their birth rights of inheritance."

"If I were ever in a situation of wealth an influence, I should hope I could accomplish the same with my children." stated Elizabeth

Mrs. Gardiner allowed a grin to escape before schooling her features. "And _if, _Miss Elizabeth, you were to be in such a situation you would be in the perfect London circle to seek the advice of Lady Fitzwilliam should you need it"


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The wedding plans at Longbourn made great progress under the supervision of Mrs. Bennet. Although the matron may be considered overbearing, she could not be accused of being inattentive to the matter of hospitality. The wedding breakfast menu was planned to impress the queen herself, and the guest list was most generous. Mary gave very careful thought to the music that was to be played for the processional and for the wedding breakfast. It was decided that there should be a quartet at the wedding breakfast, which greatly pleased Mary. Mr. Bennet claimed that since he was the one paying the musicians, the music should first be presented to him for approval. Eventually some joyful melodies were decided upon, and the the solemn tunes were added to Mr. Bennet's funeral program. Mr. Bennet had decided upon keeping a funeral program at hand at all times in his study to diminish the load upon his wife, for according to her nerves he was to fall over and die at any moment.

Mary was finally the center of attention at the Bennet household. She was congratulated by her neighbors for her prudent decision, and was praised by her mother for "saving the family from the hedgerows". Mrs. Bennet made Mary promise that once she was mistress of Longbourn she would treat her mother and sisters with great familial affection and care. Mary was taken aback by the request, and vowed that her husband, being a man of the cloth, would never think of throwing them out of the house.

As much as it pained Mr. Bennet to see any of his daughters marry a fool, he consented on the grounds of Mary's wish to be a parson's wife. She had wished it from an early age, and he hoped that with some gentle correction Mr Collins may be brought to see the error of his ways. He was also thankful that his daughter would be married to a faithful man, who could provide for her and her children. She would always have food on the table, and would eventually be mistress of her childhood home. Although Mr. Bennet would never have encouraged such a match, he had to admit that it was practical and not wholly unwelcome.

Charlotte Lucas had greatly missed her dear friend Lizzy. She had become so accustomed to their multiple weekly rambles through the countryside and deep conversation, that she felt that her days were quite empty without her friend. Desperate for a conversation unrelated to lace and homemaking, Charlotte made her way to Longbourn to see if she could find some sensible conversation with Mary Bennet.

Mary was in the process of an in-depth study of Proverbs 31 when Charlotte was announced in the drawing room. Mary stood and gave Charlotte a rather formal curtsey, invited her neighbor to seat herself and rang for tea. After being a regular visitor at Longbourn for the entirety of Mary's life, Charlotte was rather surprised by this formal greeting, but did not let it sway her from the mission of her visit.

"Mary, how are you? I hope I am not interrupting your studies"

"Not at all Charlotte. What brings you here this morning?"

"I have to confess that I have not been able to find a conversation at my house that does not contain lace or ribbons. I wonder if I may be of some use to you in your wedding plans, or if I could be a listening ear if you need one."

Mary was stunned. Could it be true that a lady had just offered to listen to her needs? Mary had never had such a friend.

"That is very kind of you Charlotte. Perhaps you could help me in my study of Proverbs 31. I find that I am prepared in every aspect of being a dutiful wife except for knowing how to treat my husband. As you well know, I have not had the best example of family felicity at home and it is my greatest desire to have a very different result to my marriage than my parents."

Tears began to form in Mary's eyes at the declaration of her family state. It had been a painful one to grow up around, and the repetition of that situation in her own marriage was one of her greatest fears. In truth, it was the greatest fear every girl in the Bennet household, although each of them choose to deal with it in their own way. All vowed to marry for love, except for Mary who decided that respect and a love for the church was the best foundation for a successful marriage.

"Mary I am so sorry, I am sure your marriage will be successful. You already know the best source for marital advice-you are consulting proverbs! What better place for a parson's wife to seek wisdom?"

"But what if my husband becomes disinterested and makes sport of me as my father does" Mary sobbed

"Your fiance is nothing like your father Mary. In fact, they could hardly be more different. Your husband also has something to occupy his time and thoughts, he has sermons to prepare for, a patroness to please, a parish to look after and soon he will have a wife to care for. He will hardly have time to stew over any part of your character."

"True" she sniffed

"And you have very supportive sisters in Jane and Elizabeth, I am sure they will come and visit you to make sure that you are happy."

"Perhaps" Mary sniffed again. By this time, Charlotte had take a seat next to Mary on the settee, and had her arms wrapped around the sobbing young woman.

"And, if you would be so kind as to extend the invitation, I would be happy to visit you at your earliest convenience."

At this declaration, Mary drew out of Charlotte's embrace. Never had she expected a member of another's family to visit her in her new surroundings. "You would?"

"Absolutely! As a nearly confirmed spinceter, I think it would be a great relief to my family to be rid of me for a fortnight or so, and a delight for me to immerse myself in a new environment!"

Mary laughed, and gave Charlotte an affectionate hug. The two spent the next hour pouring over wedding plans and shared treasured childhood stories. Mary was relieved to know that should she ever come back to Longbourn, she would have a dear friend to return to.


End file.
